Author: Vignolo Marina Silvestri Michela Parodi Arianna Pistorio Angela Battistini Elena Rossi Giovanni Aicardi Giorgio
Publisher: Informa Healthcare
ISSN: 0277-0903
Source: Journal of Asthma, Vol.42, Iss.3, 2005-04, pp. : 185-189
Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.
Abstract
The prevalence of asthma and obesity, two often associated conditions, is influenced not only by age and gender but also by lifestyle factors. This study aimed to determine whether, in a Mediterranean northern Italian region, Liguria, an increased prevalence of obesity could be detected in asthmatic children and adolescents and to evaluate the possible relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the characteristics and/or severity of asthma. BMI was determined in 554 asthmatic subjects (2.2–16.1 years) and 625 age-matched controls; BMI was expressed as a continuous variable in standard deviation score (SDS) units, determined as difference between the individual observed value and the reference mean for age and sex, divided by the corresponding standard deviation (BMI-SDS). Overweight/obesity was set at BMI-SDS of 2 or more. BMI-SDS was significantly higher in controls than in asthmatics ( p = 0.04); however, the proportion of overweight/obesity subjects (BMI-SDS = 2) was similar in controls and in asthmatic patients ( p = 0.08). Evaluation of the asthmatic group revealed that BMI-SDS was independent of gender ( p = 0.57), atopic sensitization ( p = 0.69), and comorbidity with other allergic symptoms ( p = 0.60). By contrast, BMI-SDS was lower in preschool-age children than in school-age children and adolescents ( p