Table 2

Selected respondent characteristics by exposure zone


High Exposure Zone % (95%CI)
Medium Exposure Zone % (95%CI)
Low Exposure Zone % (95%CI)
Total % (95%CI)
New South Wales % (95%CI)

General Healtha
84.7
76.7
81.5
80.5
80.7

(80.5 – 89.0)
(70.7 – 82.7)
(77.8 – 85.2)
(77.6 – 83.4)
(79.7–81.7)
Psychological Distressb
9.2
15.2
13.2
13.3
12.2

(5.8–12.7)
(9.6–20.7)
(9.7–16.7)
(10.6–16.1)
(11.4–13.1)
Current Asthmac
6.8
9.9
11.6
10.8
10.6

(4.0–9.7)
(4.8–15.0)
(8.1–15.1)
(8.1–13.4)
(9.8–11.3)
Environmental Worry (very worried)
15.8
13.7
11.8
12.6
N/A

(11.1–20.4)
(9.8–17.7)
(8.4–15.2)
(10.1–15.1)

Exposure Time (most time spent at address)
49.1
51.5
49.6
50.1
N/A

(41.2–57.0)
(44.5–58.5)
(44.3–54.9)
(46.1–54.1)

Foreign odour detected in past few days or past week
29.2
24.2
23.4
24.1
N/A

(21.6–36.9)
(17.7–30.7)
(19.2–27.7)
(20.8–27.4)

Awareness of survey link to M5 stack
12.6
10.8
2.2
5.2
N/A

(8.8–16.5)
(7.4–14.2)
(1.0–3.3)
(4.0–6.4)

Unflued gas or solid fuel heater
27.1
25.9
28.4
27.6
22.6

(20.3–33.9)
(19.7–32.0)
(23.4–33.4)
(23.9–31.3)
(20.6–24.7)
Personal Smoking (daily or occasionally)
17.9
24.8
26.6
25.4
21.4

(12.2–23.7)
(18.5–31.1)
(21.9–31.3)
(21.9–28.9)
(20.3–22.4)
Smoke Free Households
82.0
85.5
78.9
80.8
81.0

(76.3–87.8)
(80.5–90.4)
(74.5–83.3)
(77.6–84.0)
(80.0–82.0)
Garage with direct access to home
11.3
8.4
11.8
10.9
22.2

(6.1–16.5)
(5.0–11.8)
(8.2–15.3)
(8.4–13.5)
(20.0–24.3)
Diagnosed Chemical Sensitivity
1.4
3.6
2.4
2.6
2.9

(0.3–2.6)
(0.4–6.8)
(0.7–4.0)
(1.2–4.0)
(2.5–3.4)
Any Teeth and/or Gums soreness
18.5
20.1
19.0
19.2
N/A

(12.5–24.5)
(14.8–25.4)
(14.6–23.5)
(16.0–22.5)


CI = Confidence interval

aGeneral health rated as excellent, very good or good

bKessler 6 scored at high or very high psychological distress.

cBeen told by a doctor or at a hospital that they had asthma AND had symptoms of asthma or taken treatment for asthma in the past 12 months.

Capon et al. Environmental Health 2008 7:46   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-46