President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama claimed that coal could create "the kinds of air pollution" that is "creating asthma for kids," in speaking at a town hall event in Annandale, Va., on Tuesday. However, the National Institutes of Health says that “the exact cause of asthma isn’t known” and that “asthma is different for each person.”

“The challenge with coal is that although it’s very cheap, it’s also dirty. And it can create the kinds of air pollution that not only is contributing to climate change but is also creating asthma for kids nearby,” Obama said in answer to a question about balancing deficit reduction with government spending on clean energy.

“You got asthma? Okay. And so sucking that stuff in is not ideal,” said Obama. “So what we’ve said is, let’s invest in clean coal technology that potentially can capture some of these particulates and some of the carbon dioxide that’s going into the atmosphere.”

Asthma, however, is not caused by coal, or the emissions from coal-fired power plants, as the president suggested. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the true cause of asthma is unknown, although scientists believe it is caused by a confluence of genetic and environmental factors or early viral infections.

“The exact cause of asthma isn't known. Researchers think some genetic and environmental factors interact to cause asthma, most often early in life,” the NIH states on its Web site.

“These factors include: An inherited tendency to develop allergies, called atopy (AT-o-pe); parents who have asthma; certain respiratory infections during childhood; contact with some airborne allergens or exposure to some viral infections in infancy or in early childhood when the immune system is developing,” states the NIH.

The NIH did say that respiratory irritants, such as air pollution, can trigger an asthma attack, but not that air pollution causes the disease. The NIH also noted that not all asthma sufferers are affected by the same triggers, meaning that, for some, air pollution may have no effect at all.

“Triggers may include … Irritants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals or dust in the workplace, compounds in home décor products, and sprays (such as hairspray),” the NIH said.

“Asthma is different for each person. Some of the triggers listed above may not affect you,” stated the NIH.

Obama made his remarks at a town hall discussion -- "Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity" -- at the Annandale, Va., campus of the Northern Virginia Community College.

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