SEX-DIFFERENCES IN THE USE OF ASTHMA DRUGS - CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objectives To assess the use of asthma drugs by men and women with ast hma and to identify sex specific predictors for the use of oral steroi ds. Design Cross sectional study Setting Six general practices in East Anglia. Subjects 103 men and 134 women aged 20-54 with asthma. Main o utcome measures Self reported use of beta agonists, inhaled steroids, and oral steroids. Results No sex difference was found in use of beta agonists or inhaled steroids. However a strong association existed bet ween sex and oral steroid use. 40 (30%) women reported using oral ster oids compared with nine (9%) men. Women were more than five times (odd s ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval 2.2 to 13.7) more likely to rep ort use of oral steroids than men after asthma symptoms, age, visits t o the general practitioner in previous six months, and time since diag nosis of asthma were controlled for. Women who had visited the general practitioner for asthma one or more times in the previous six months were four times (3.9, 1.6 to 9.5) as likely to report use of oral ster oids. In addition, more frequent visits to the general practitioner fo r asthma were related in a dose-response manner to a greater likelihoo d of using oral steroids among women after asthma symptoms, age, and t ime since diagnosis were controlled for. This relation was not observe d among men. Conclusion Women used oral steroids more than men. The mo re frequent consultations with a doctor by women may result in more re quests for oral steroids or doctors may preferentially prescribe oral steroids to women.