Abstract: | The records of 708 nonsmoking white adult residents of Washington County, MD, who had participated in two of respiratory symptoms were analyzed to evaluate the effects of exposure at home to two potential sources of indoor air pollution: cigarette smoking by other household members, and use of gas as a cooking fuel. After adjustment for the effects of age, sex, socioeconomic level, occupational exposure to dust, and years of residence in household, the presence of one or more smokers in the household was only suggestively associated with a higher frequency of chronic phlegm and impaired ventilatory function defined as FEV1 < 80% predicted. The use for cooking was associated with a significantly increased frequency of chronic cough and a significantly greater percentage with impaired ventilatory function as measured both by FEV1 < 80% predicted and by FEV1/FVC < 70%. |