Background: indoor mould is a risk factor for adverse health effects.

Aim: to assess the associations between respiratory/allergic/systemic symptoms and mould exposure at home in an Italian children?s sample.

Methods: in 2011-12, 2373 schoolchildren (6?14 yrs) living in 8 Italian cities (Udine, Milan, Sondrio, Pisa, Rome, Bari, Palermo, Cagliari) participated in the first field survey of the Indoor-School project, funded by the Center for Disease Control (CCM) of the Italian Ministry of Health. Parents filled in a questionnaire on children?s respiratory/allergic health and home risk factors. Last 12-month mould exposure was defined as follows: a) visible mould growth indoors on walls, floor or ceiling and/or b) smell of mould in one or more rooms (not the basement). Last 3-month eye symptoms, skin-related symptoms, upper and lower airways symptoms and systemic symptoms (general malaise) were assessed. Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, Body Mass Index, family history of asthma/rhinitis, second hand smoke, cat/dog at home and climatic index, were run to assess association between respiratory/allergic symptoms and mould exposure.

Results: mould exposure was significantly associated with eye symptoms (OR=1.73, 95% CI=1.00-3.01), skin symptoms (OR=1.57, 95% CI=0.94-2.61, borderline), upper airways symptoms (OR=1.55, 95% CI=1.10-2.20), lower airway symptoms (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.18-2.69) and systemic symptoms (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.31-2.43).

Conclusions: reported home exposure to mould was associated with respiratory/allergic/systemic symptoms in children. Parents should be aware and intervene for abating this risk factor to protect own children?s health.