Objective  To explore the effect of home indoor environment on respiratory system health among children and adolescents and to provide a reference for developing corresponding interventions.

  Methods  With random cluster sampling, we conducted a survey among 11 611 students in 5 primary and 5 junior high schools in urban regions of Zhongshan city, Guangdong province from March to July in 2016. A modified questionnaire on respiratory health designed by American Thoracic Society (ATS) was used in the study.

  Results  Among all the students (mean age = 11.49 ± 2.66 years), the prevalence rate of persistent cough, persistent expectoration, and wheezing were 2.85%, 1.20%, and 6.93% and that of physician-diagnosed asthma history and current asthma were 5.70% and 1.46%, respectively. The results of unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that for all the students, kitchen fume-related eye irritation was a risk factor for persistent cough (odds ratio OR = 1.85, 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 1.24 – 2.78) and physician-diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.05 – 2.01); home indoor mold was a risk factor for wheezing (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09 – 1.51) and cockroaches in dwelling house was a risk factor for wheezing (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.28 – 1.87) and physician-diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.08 – 1.60).

  Conclusion  Regularly cleaning mold and eliminating cockroaches in dwelling house play an important role in keeping respiratory system health among children and adolescents.