title: Risk factors for asthma in adolescents in a large urban region of Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identify risk factors for asthma in adolescents from São Paulo, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  total of 528 adolescents (141 asthmatics, 387 control subjects) from the ISAAC study (phase III) were submitted to a complementary questionnaire to evaluate risk factors, through response to questions regarding personal history, environment, and diet and an agreement to undergo the skin prick test (SPT) for aeroallergens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive SPT to at least one allergen occurred in 49.4% adolescents. The risk factors for asthma were: prematurity (OR: 3.84, 95% CI: 1.54-9.64), rhinitis (OR: 3.18, 95% CI: 1.71-5.91), positivity in the SPT (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.48-5.32), eczema in characteristic skin-folds (OR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.13-7.26), and an allergic mother (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.02-3.93). The consumption of cooked vegetables was a protective factor for asthma (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18-0.79)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthma is a multifatorial disease. An allergic mother, aeroallergen sensitization, rhinitis, eczema and prematurity were considered risk factors and the consumption of cooked vegetables was considered a protective factor for asthma in this population.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatria, Instituto da Criança, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade São Paulo, Brazil. acpastorino@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Antonio C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pastorino
authors.forename: Rejane D C
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rimazza
authors.forename: Cláudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Ana Paula M
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Dirceu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.forename: Cristina M A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Jacob
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D001938:Brazil; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012882:Skin Tests; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens