title: Gender-specific differences in associations of overweight and obesity with asthma and asthma-related symptoms in 30 056 children: result from 25 districts of Northeastern China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationship between obesity and allergic respiratory diseases in childhood is still controversial. Furthermore, significant debate on the issue of whether or not gender modifies this association also exists due to inconsistent findings. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between obesity and respiratory health in children, and to investigate the modifications of gender on this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 056 children (aged 2-14 years) were randomly selected from 25 districts within 7 cities in Northeastern China in 2009. A standard questionnaire from the American Thoracic Society was used to characterize the children's histories of respiratory symptoms and illnesses. Child weight and height were measured, and obesity was calculated with an age and sex-specific body mass index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence rates of obesity and overweightness were 14.08% and 12.32%, respectively. Compared to the children with normal body weights, asthma and asthma-related symptoms were more prevalent in overweight and obese children. Analysis stratified by gender showed that obesity was associated with more respiratory symptoms and diseases in females than in males. A significant association between obesity and diagnosed asthma [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.60], as well as current wheezing (aOR = 1.46; 95%CI: 1.20-1.79) was found in females but not in males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an association between asthma symptoms and obesity in these Chinese children, and obesity had a significantly larger effect on females than males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Noncommunicable Chronic Disease Prevention, Dalian Center for Disease Prevention and Control , Dalian, Liaoning Province , PR China .
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhengmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mingan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yungling Leo
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Miao-Miao
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yu-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mei-Meng
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yi-Zhe
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chen-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guang-Hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Asthma; children; gender; obesity; overweight