The aim of the study was to detect possible environmental factors influencing the health of the less mobile population of preschool children. The relationship between outdoor exposure of the immediate "micro-environment" where most of a preschool child's time is spent and the increased risk to respiratory ill health and allergies has been investigated in approximately 1 000 children, aged 3–9 years. The findings suggest an increased risk of asthma (odds ratio OR = 1.8) and allergies (OR = 1.5) with exposure to traffic-attributable emissions. Domestic heating-attributed emissions were found to increase the risk to bronchitis-type illnesses (OR = 1.4).

        Key words: environmental pollution, microenvironment, epidemiology, children, respiratory illnesses, allergies, preschool children, risk assessment, airway diseases