engleski

Risk factors for wheezing in Croatian children

Aim of study:To estimate the prenatal and early childhood risk factors for wheezing in the Međimurje-Cakovec Country in Northwest Croatia. Methods: A total of 3111 children participated in the study, aged 12-14 years. Data on symptoms of wheezing and diagnosis of asthma were gathered using the International Study of Asthma and allergy in Children(ISAAC)questionnaire together with added quetions for possible risk and protective factors as family history for atopy, maternal smoking during pregnancy, breast feeding, environmental tabacco smoke exposure, pets' ownership, infestation with parasites, sleeping on a feather cushion, socioeconomic status. Results: Factors significantly associated with increased risk of eheezing ever included positive family history of atopy (odds ratio (OR), 3.27 ; 95%confidence interval (CI), 1.85-2.90 ; P<0.0001), male gender (OR, 1.97 ; 95%CI, 1.57-2.48 ; P<0.0001)and breast feeding(OR, 1.16 ; 95%CI, 1.01-1.33 ; P=0.041). Statistically significant protective factor for wheezing ever was sleeping on a feather cushion (OR, 0.66 ; 95% CI, 0.53-0.83 ; P<0.001). The same risk or protective factors except for breast feeding were significantly associated with diagnosed asthma 8positive family history, OR 3.33, P<0.001 ; male gender, OR 1.46, P=0.008 ; sleeping on a feather cushion, OR 0.52 ; P<0.001). For curent wheeze (in the 12 months)significant association was found onla for family history (OR 2.92 ; P<0.001) and for sleeping on a feather cushion (OR 0.51 ; P<0.001). We did not observe any significant relationship between wheezing ever or current wheeze or diagnosis of asthma and factors as maternal smoking during pregnacy, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, pets'ownership, infestation with parasites or ssocioeconomic status. Conclusion: Although many studies have shown an inverse relationship between allergy and infection with Helminthes our results do not support this.on the countrary we found a significat protective influence of sleeping on a feather cushion. The other risk and protective factors for wheezing and asthma similar to the majority of the other studies.

children; asthma; wheezing

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