E. Lombardi et al., THE RELATION BETWEEN PHYSICIAN-DIAGNOSED SINUSITIS, ASTHMA, AND SKIN-TEST REACTIVITY TO ALLERGENS IN 8-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN, Pediatric pulmonology, 22(3), 1996, pp. 141-146
The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of sinusitis in
a nonselected sample of children, and the relation of sinusitis to al
lergic rhinitis (AR), atopy, asthma, and cough in the same population
sample. Of 1246 children enrolled at birth in the Tucson Children's Re
spiratory Study, 835 were studied at a mean age +/- SD of 8.6 +/- 0.7
years. Questionnaires asking about MD-Sinusitis, MD-AR, MD-Asthma, and
cough were completed by parents. Skin tests for seven common aeroalle
rgens in the Tucson area had been performed in 630 of the participatin
g children at the mean age +/- SD of 6.3 +/- 0.9 years. Prevalence of
MD-Sinusitis was 13.1%; 78% of subjects with MD-Sinusitis also had MD-
AR. Detailed analysis of the relation between MD-Sinusitis and individ
ual environmental allergens tested for showed that only a response to
Bermuda grass pollen was significantly associated with MD-Sinusitis af
ter controlling for MD-AR [adjusted odds ratio 2.3 (95% CI 1.2-4.3)].
Having MD-Sinusitis was also significantly associated with MD-Asthma a
nd cough [odds ratios 3.0 (95% CI 1.8-5.2)] and 2.5 (95% CI 1.6-3.8),
respectively]. However, logistic regression demonstrated that, after c
ontrolling for MD-AR and skin test reactivity; MD-Sinusitis was no lon
ger significantly associated with MD-Asthma or cough. We conclude that
MD-Sinusitis is a common condition in childhood. The main independent
risk factors in our community for MD-Sinusitis were grass pollen and
current MD-AR. MD-Sinusitis was not associated with MD-Asthma or with
cough after controlling for skin test reactivity and for MD-AR. (C) 19
96 Wiley-Liss, Inc.