title: [Asthma prevalence in adolescents. Relation to sex and active smoking].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma prevalence in adolescents appears to be increasing and determinants are not well established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between sex and active smoking with asthma prevalence in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study 6,922 students, ages 12 to 18 years, residents in an area of northeastern Mexico, were included. We developed a questionnaire based on The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and on The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). The association between sex and active smoking with asthma prevalence was determined using a logistic regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total population, 46.3% were males, 7.3% suffered from asthma and 17.3% were cigarette smokers. We found that sex (OR = 0.55; CI 95%: 0.48-0.63) and active smoking (adjusted OR = 1.12; CI 95%: 0.89-1.42) were not associated with asthma prevalence. Females (OR = 1.44; CI 95%: 1.13-1.84) and active smoking (adjusted OR = 1.38; CI 95%: 1.15-1.67) were associated with prevalence of wheezing in the last 12 months, and with prevalence of dry cough at night (OR = 1.53; CI 95%: 1.34-1.76).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Teenager males and active smoking were not associated with asthma prevalence. Females had an association with wheezing in the last 12 months and dry cough at night.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Investigación de la Facultad de Medicina de Tampico, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Tamaulipas, México. fvazqueznava@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Irma Aída
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Torres Fermán
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vázquez Nava
authors.forename: Ricardo Antonio
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Calafell Ceballos
authors.forename: Eliza Mireya
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Vázquez Rodríguez
authors.forename: Víctor Manuel
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Almeida Arvizu
authors.forename: María Del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Barrientos Gómez
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin Ochoa
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peinado Herreros
authors.forename: María Concepción
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Iribar Ibabe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012907:Smoking