title: Dietary fats and asthma in teenagers: analyses of the first Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The occurrence of asthma may be associated with dietary factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between nutrient intake and physician-diagnosed asthma and allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A stratified, multiple-staged sampling design was used to select study areas, in which household interviews were carried out to gather information on health status and 24-h food recall. Data from 1166 adolescents, 13-17 years of age, were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In univariate analysis, total calorie and energy-adjusted fat intake were associated with the prevalence of asthma, whereas vitamin A and vitamin C intake showed negative association with asthma. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for sex and levels of urbanization; intake of saturated fats was associated with increased risk (OR = 2.02 for an increase of one SD, 95%CI 1.40-2.90), while monounsaturated fats were inversely related to asthma (OR = 0.65 for an increase of one SD, 95%CI 0.43-0.99). Vitamin C intake in the lowest quartile was associated with elevated risk for asthma with marginal significance (OR = 1.81, 95%CI 0.88-3.71, P = 0.10). None of the nutritional factors was associated with allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this cross-sectional survey suggest that saturated and monounsaturated fats may have different effects on airway inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. slhuang@ym.edu.tw
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent / Q000502:physiology*; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000032:analysis; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health; D014815:Vitamins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats; D014815:Vitamins