title: [Atopy and low birth weight as determinants of susceptibility of children to acute respiratory tract infections].
abstract: The purpose of the paper was to evaluate the extent to which acute respiratory infections in children are related to individual susceptibility due to allergy and low birth weight. In the group of children with allergy confirmed by medical doctors the spells of respiratory infections were significantly higher than among those without allergy. It was particularly evident for total number of spells whenever and not only experienced in the last year. In children with low birth weight (< 2,000 g) there was also the higher incidence of infection spells than in children with normal birth weight. In the multivariate analysis after accounting for main confounding variables it was demonstrated that only allergy and low birth weight increased substantially incidence of acute respiratory episodes. Relative risk calculated for the incidence excess of respiratory spells (above the 95% confidence interval) in allergic children was 2.3 (95% CI: 2.1-3.5) and in children with low birth 2.3 (95% CI: 1.2-4.4). Attributable risk (ARpop) for allergy was 21.4% and for low birth weight 2.4%, however, attributable risk is exposed (ARexp) among allergic children was 62.4% and in children with low birth weight 55.5%).
authors.affiliation: Katedra Epidemiologii i Medycyny Zapobiegawczej CM UJ w Krakowie.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jedrychowski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flak
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications*; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors