A case-control study of risk factors for asthma in New Zealand children.
OBJECTIVE
As in other English-speaking countries, asthma is a major and increasing health problem in New Zealand. This study examined the risk factors for asthma in children aged 7-9.


METHODS
Cases and controls were randomly selected from participants in the Wellington arm of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Cases were children with a previous diagnosis of asthma and current medication use (n=233), and controls were children with no history of wheezing and no diagnosis of asthma (n=241).


RESULTS
After controlling for confounders, factors significantly associated with asthma were maternal (OR=3.36, 95% CI 1.88-5.99) and paternal asthma (OR-2.67, 95% CI 1.42-5.02), and male sex (OR=1.81, 95% CI 1.17-2.81). Children from social classes 5 and 6 or with unemployed parents (OR=2.32, 95% CI 1.22-4.44) were significantly more likely to have asthma than children in social classes 1 and 2. There was no significant association between having polio vaccination (OR=2.48, 95% CI 0.83-7.41), hepatitis B vaccination (OR=0.66, 95% CI 0.42-1.04) or measles/mumps/rubella vaccination (OR=1.43, 95% CI 0.85-2.41) and asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has confirmed the associations of family history and lower socio-economic status with current asthma in 7-9 year old children. The role of vaccinations requires further research.
Wickens
K
K
Wellington Asthma Research Group, Wellington School of Medicine, New Zealand. kwickens@kokako.wnmeds.ac.nz
Crane
J
J
Kemp
T
T
Lewis
S
S
D'Souza
W
W
Sawyer
G
G
Stone
L
L
Tohill
S
S
Kennedy
J
J
Slater
T
T
Rains
N
N
Pearce
N
N
D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects*
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine