title: Overweight, asthma symptoms, atopy and pulmonary function in children of 4-12 years of age: findings from the SCAALA cohort in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between overweight and the occurrence of asthma and atopy in a cohort of children of 4-12 years of age living in the city of Salvador in 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study nested in a cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  The metropolitan region of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 1129 children of 4-12 years age who presented complete information on the variables used here. Skin tests for allergy, spirometry, faecal parasitology, serum IgE and anthropometric surveys were conducted. Poisson's multivariate regression was adopted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wheezing was found in 29·1% and asthma in 22·8% of children, both conditions being more common in those under 6 years of age and 34% more common in overweight children (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1·34; 95% CI 1·07, 1·67) following adjustment. The ratio between forced expiratory volume in 1s and forced vital capacity was associated with overweight (PR = 1·35; 95% CI 1·11, 1·61). No statistically significant association was found between overweight and allergen-specific IgE or with wheezing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results are in agreement with the hypothesis that overweight is associated with asthma and pulmonary function, even following adjustment for intervening variables known to be associated with the pathogeny of asthma.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Basílio da Gama, s/n°, Campus Universitário do Canela, 5° andar, 40110-040 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. sheilaalvim@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sheila M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: Sandra R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jesus
authors.forename: Silvia R D M
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Saldiva
authors.forename: Matildes S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Innocenzo
authors.forename: Ana M O
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Neuza M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Alcantara-Neves
authors.forename: Álvaro A
authors.initials: ÁA
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Silvia de Magalhães
authors.initials: Sde M
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: Maurício L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barreto
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D013147:Spirometry