The Influences of Socioeconomic Status of Primary Schools' Students on Their Respiratory Health

Abstract

Although researchers in this decade have proposed several answers concerning the association between socio-economic levels of health, still one question is not well understood: whether in school or domestic environments, low and high socio-economic status may influence asthma and respiratory symptoms on primary school students. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which primary school with environment low and high socio-economic status, and respiratory health among the students. Respiratory symptoms and asthma among Australian school students' within high and low socio-economic backgrounds were studied in 2007. A cross sectional study in three stages questionnaire survey, indoor air quality monitoring in schools and indoor air quality assessment in houses were carried out to explain the impact of school and domestic air quality on respiratory symptoms among primary school students at schools with high and low socio-economic backgrounds. The data were analysed using statistical tests like Correlation, One- Way ANOVA and T-test. The study results have shown that school children with low socio-economic backgrounds showed more respiratory symptoms. Also, there was a significant difference between boys and girls respiratory symptoms.  Those who studied in schools with higher SES had fewer asthma and respiratory symptoms. Several elements such as smoking at home, the amount of particular matters and volatile organic compounds inside the house and usage of detergents inside the classrooms were the main reasons to student's respiratory symptoms. This study concluded that there is a negative correlation between SES and respiratory symptoms among school students and low socio-economic status of school's environments itself is a risk factor for respiratory symptoms and astma among school childrens.