Gender differences in asthma prevalence may depend on how asthma is defined
(2003) In Respiratory Medicine 97(5). p.491-497- Abstract
- BACKGROUND: Asthma may be defined either as wheeze within the previous 12 months (current wheeze) doctor-diagnosed asthma (DDA), or current wheeze plus confirmed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). AIMS: We wanted to estimate asthma prevalence in randomly selected adolescents based on different criteria for asthma diagnosis, study gender differences in reported asthma-like symptoms vs DDA, and relate our findings to measurements of AHR, levels of exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) and total IgE. METHODS: As part of the health survey of North-Trondelag (HUNT), 8571 adolescents aged 13-19 years were investigated with an interview on allergic and respiratory symptoms (phase I study). Of these, 401 subjects who reported wheeze within the previous 12... (More)
- BACKGROUND: Asthma may be defined either as wheeze within the previous 12 months (current wheeze) doctor-diagnosed asthma (DDA), or current wheeze plus confirmed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). AIMS: We wanted to estimate asthma prevalence in randomly selected adolescents based on different criteria for asthma diagnosis, study gender differences in reported asthma-like symptoms vs DDA, and relate our findings to measurements of AHR, levels of exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) and total IgE. METHODS: As part of the health survey of North-Trondelag (HUNT), 8571 adolescents aged 13-19 years were investigated with an interview on allergic and respiratory symptoms (phase I study). Of these, 401 subjects who reported wheeze within the previous 12 months (current wheeze) and 213 non-symptomatic controls were randomly selected and investigated with allergy screening, methacholine bronchoprovocation test and measurements of ENO (phase II study). RESULTS: In the phase I study prevalence of current wheeze was 26% (30% in girls and 23% in boys, P < 0.01). Prevalence of DDA was 10.8% (10.5% in girls and 11% in boys). Among subjects with current wheeze, the likelihood of having DDA was reduced in girls compared to boys, odds ratio (95% CI) 0.82 (0.68-0.98) which was partly explained by a longer history of wheeze among boys. In the phase II study, although more girls than boys with current wheeze had AHR (62% versus 50%, P < 0.02) more boys than girls reported DDA (44% vs. 32%, P < 0.02). Of the objective parameters, increased levels of ENO most strongly increased the risk of having DDA. CONCLUSIONS: When asthma is defined as DDA, there is a risk of underestimating the prevalence of asthma, especially among girls. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1126575
- author
- Henriksen, A H ; Holmen, T L and Bjermer, Leif LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2003
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Pneumology, Obstructive pulmonary disease, Respiratory disease, Epidemiology, Lung disease, Bronchus disease, Asthma, Sex, Diagnosis, Current, Prevalence, Comparative study
- in
- Respiratory Medicine
- volume
- 97
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 491 - 497
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:12735665
- scopus:0242417037
- ISSN
- 1532-3064
- DOI
- 10.1053/rmed.2002.1470
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 14b3050e-c5d8-4848-bc15-02a2767f269b (old id 1126575)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:48:13
- date last changed
- 2022-01-28 22:17:40
@article{14b3050e-c5d8-4848-bc15-02a2767f269b, abstract = {{BACKGROUND: Asthma may be defined either as wheeze within the previous 12 months (current wheeze) doctor-diagnosed asthma (DDA), or current wheeze plus confirmed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). AIMS: We wanted to estimate asthma prevalence in randomly selected adolescents based on different criteria for asthma diagnosis, study gender differences in reported asthma-like symptoms vs DDA, and relate our findings to measurements of AHR, levels of exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) and total IgE. METHODS: As part of the health survey of North-Trondelag (HUNT), 8571 adolescents aged 13-19 years were investigated with an interview on allergic and respiratory symptoms (phase I study). Of these, 401 subjects who reported wheeze within the previous 12 months (current wheeze) and 213 non-symptomatic controls were randomly selected and investigated with allergy screening, methacholine bronchoprovocation test and measurements of ENO (phase II study). RESULTS: In the phase I study prevalence of current wheeze was 26% (30% in girls and 23% in boys, P < 0.01). Prevalence of DDA was 10.8% (10.5% in girls and 11% in boys). Among subjects with current wheeze, the likelihood of having DDA was reduced in girls compared to boys, odds ratio (95% CI) 0.82 (0.68-0.98) which was partly explained by a longer history of wheeze among boys. In the phase II study, although more girls than boys with current wheeze had AHR (62% versus 50%, P < 0.02) more boys than girls reported DDA (44% vs. 32%, P < 0.02). Of the objective parameters, increased levels of ENO most strongly increased the risk of having DDA. CONCLUSIONS: When asthma is defined as DDA, there is a risk of underestimating the prevalence of asthma, especially among girls.}}, author = {{Henriksen, A H and Holmen, T L and Bjermer, Leif}}, issn = {{1532-3064}}, keywords = {{Pneumology; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Respiratory disease; Epidemiology; Lung disease; Bronchus disease; Asthma; Sex; Diagnosis; Current; Prevalence; Comparative study}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{5}}, pages = {{491--497}}, publisher = {{Elsevier}}, series = {{Respiratory Medicine}}, title = {{Gender differences in asthma prevalence may depend on how asthma is defined}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/rmed.2002.1470}}, doi = {{10.1053/rmed.2002.1470}}, volume = {{97}}, year = {{2003}}, }