Nj. Withers et al., THE NATURAL-HISTORY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN A COHORT OF ADOLESCENTS, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 158(2), 1998, pp. 352-357
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Emergency Medicine & Critical Care","Respiratory System
A cohort of 2,289 children, previously studied at the age of 6-8 yr, w
ere followed up by means of a postal questionnaire when aged 14-16 yr
to examine the association between potential risk factors and the natu
ral history of respiratory symptoms. Children with current symptoms, p
ersistent symptoms, and late-onset symptoms were identified and multiv
ariate analyses were performed to determine the independent associatio
n between risk factors and these various symptom-based subgroups. Pers
onal and family history of atopy was significantly associated with all
symptom groups and with the presence of doctor-diagnosed asthma. Smok
ing, either active or passive, was shown to be significantly associate
d with current, persistent, and late-onset symptoms. Other factors sho
wn to be significantly associated with certain symptom groups were gen
der (late-onset wheeze), single-parent households (current cough, pers
istent cough), social class (late-onset wheeze), number of children in
the household (persistent wheeze, late-onset cough), number of furry
pets in the household (current wheeze), birth weight (late-onset wheez
e), and gas cookers (current wheeze, persistent wheeze). In a subgroup
of children studied in more detail in 1987, bronchial hyperresponsive
ness in 1987 was positively associated with persistent wheeze in 1995,
whereas positive skin-prick testing in 1987 was not.