PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LABELING OF ASTHMA

Patient characteristics associated with the asthma label were investig ated in 262 children, aged 8 years, who reported wheezing illness in t he previous 12 months. Children were first identified by a screening q uestionnaire administered to the parents of all 8 year old schoolchild ren in Croydon, south London. Interviews were conducted with those rep orted to have had a wheezing illness in the previous 12 months to obta in details of the child's illness, medical care, demographic and socio economic characteristics. Multivariate analysis showed that the likeli hood of being labelled asthmatic was increased in those who had a pare ntal history of hayfever [odds ratio (OR) = 2.24, 95% confidence inter val (CI) = 1,22-4.14] or at least two allergic provoking factors (OR = 3.83, 95% CI = 1.44-10.15). No significant associations were found be tween asthma labelling and children's socioeconomic characteristics or use of general practitioner services. These findings suggest that whe eze is likely to be labelled asthma when the clinical history suggests an allergic aetiology.