Longitudinal Associations Between Household Use of "Green" Cleaning Products and Asthma Symptoms

Abstract

Background: The household use of irritant and sprayed cleaning products is an established asthma risk factor, which could motivate consumers to turn to "green" products. However, only 2 cross-sectional studies, with inconsistent results, evaluated the potential respiratory health impacts of "green" products.

Objective: To investigate 2-years effects on asthma of household use of "green" products and irritants/sprays, using longitudinal data from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort.

Methods: The asthma symptom score and household use of "green" products and irritants/sprays were evaluated using standardized questionnaires in 2018 and 2020. The evolution of weekly use (persistent, increased vs no weekly use) was studied in association with (1) the asthma symptom score in 2020; (2) the incidence of asthma symptoms between 2018 and 2020 (incidence vs asymptomatic); and (3) the evolution of asthma symptoms between 2018 and 2020 (improvement, deterioration vs symptomatic stable) by logistic regressions. Models were adjusted for sex, age, smoking status, body mass index, educational level, and use of irritants/sprays (for "green" products).

Results: Our study was based on 30,012 adults (mean age: 49 ± 14 years; 74% women). For irritants/sprays, persistent (40%) and increased (26%) use was associated with asthma symptoms (mean score ratio MSR [95% CI values]: 1.26 [1.18-1.34], and MSR: 1.14 [1.06-1.22], respectively), incidence (odds ratio OR [95% CI values]: 1.30 [1.16-1.45], and OR: 1.07 [0.95-1.20], respectively), and deterioration (OR: 1.48 [1.19-1.85], and OR: 1.28 [1.01-1.64], respectively). For green products, persistent (20%) and increased (12%) use was associated with symptoms in 2020 (MSR: 1.08 [1.01-1.16], and MSR: 1.07 [0.99-1.16], respectively), and associations were suggested with incidence (OR: 1.09 [0.97-1.22], and OR: 1.11 [0.97-1.27], respectively).

Conclusions: Persistent and increased use of irritants/sprays but also of "green" products was associated with deleterious effects on asthma over time.

Keywords: Asthma; Green cleaning products; Household cleaning; Irritants; Sprays.