title: Excess weight in preschool children with a history of severe bronchiolitis is associated with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between excess weight gain and asthma in childhood remains inadequately defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate, as part of a prospective post-bronchiolitis follow-up, whether there is a link between earlier or current overweight or obesity and asthma or asthma symptoms at 5-7 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 151 former bronchiolitis patients were followed-up until the mean age of 6.45 years. At the control visit, the weights and heights were measured, and the asthma symptoms and medications for asthma were recorded. The weight status was expressed as body mass index (BMI) z-scores (zBMI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 10 obese and 31 overweight (zBMI over national references) children. In adjusted analyses, presence of current asthma at 6-7 years of age (aOR 3.05, 95% CI 1.02-9.93) differed between overweight and normal weight children. Further, asthma ever, asthma at age 4-5 years, asthma at age 5-6 years, use of bronchodilators ever and use of ICSs during the last 12 months were more common in currently overweight than in normal weight children. Obesity was associated only with current asthma and asthma ever. Instead, there were no significant associations between birth weight, excess weight gain in infancy, or overweight at age 1.5 years, and later asthma, asthma symptoms or use of asthma medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthma was more common in currently overweight than in normal weight former bronchiolitis patients at preschool age and early school age.
authors.affiliation: Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Törmänen
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lauhkonen
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saari
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koponen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korppi
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nuolivirta
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: asthma; bronchiolitis; obesity; preschool children; wheezing