Résumé :
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Background : The environment plays an important part in the aetiology of atopic eczema, but specific causes are unknown. Exposure to hard water is thought to be a risk factor for eczema. We undertook an ecological study of the relation between domestic water hardness and the prevalence of eczema among Nottinghamshire schoolchildren. Methods : Questionnaire details of a 1-year period and lifetime prevalence of eczema were obtained from parents of 4141 randomly selected primary-school children and 3499 secondary-school children in southern Nottinghamshire Geographical information systems were used to link the geographical distribution of eczema prevalence with domestic water-hardness data (four categories). Adjustment was made for potential confounding by sex, age, socioeconomic status, and access to health care. Findings Among the primary-school children there was a significant direct relation between both 1-year period and lifetime prevalence of eczema and water hardness, both before and after adjustment for confounders. ... Interpretation : exposure to hard water in their home may increase the risk of eczema in children of primary-school age.
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