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. 2018 Jun;13(6):393-396.
doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12246. Epub 2017 Nov 12.

Asthma prevalence trends by weight status among US children aged 2-19 years, 1988-2014

L J Akinbami  1   2 , L M Rossen  1 , T H I Fakhouri  1 , C D Fryar  1
Affiliations

Asthma prevalence trends by weight status among US children aged 2-19 years, 1988-2014

L J Akinbami et al. Pediatr Obes. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for asthma. However, it is unclear if increased obesity prevalence contributed to rising childhood asthma prevalence.

Objective: To assess if population-level changes in weight status impacted asthma prevalence over time.

Methods: Using nationally representative 1988-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for 40 644 children aged 2-19 years, we analyzed asthma trends by weight status (body mass index age-specific percentiles determined using measured weight and height). Logistic regression and population attributable fraction were used to assess the association between obesity and asthma prevalence.

Results: Although obesity was a risk factor for asthma throughout the period, asthma prevalence increased only among children with normal weight; there was no interaction between weight status and time. The population attributable fraction for overweight/obesity rose from 8.5% in 1988-1994 to 11.9% in 2011-2014, but this increase was not significant (P = 0.44).

Conclusions: Together, these data do not support a contribution of obesity trends to asthma prevalence trends.

Keywords: Asthma; epidemiology; obesity; weight status.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(Left) Asthma prevalence by weight status (underweight category not shown because of unreliable point estimates) and (right) adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence interval for asthma by weight status, sex, age group, race/ethnicity and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycle (the interaction term (weight status*survey cycle) was not statistically significant; underweight category was excluded because of low sample size) – children 2–19 years of age, USA.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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