title: Wider neck circumference is related to severe asthma in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is an established risk factor for asthma in children. Measures of central obesity are reported to be more associated with the severity of asthma in adults. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between fat distribution, which is determined by anthropometric measures including neck circumference (NC) and asthma severity in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with asthma who were followed in our pediatric allergy unit were consecutively recruited. Asthma severity was graded according to GINA guidelines. Children whose asthma was controlled with Step 1 or 2 treatment options formed Group 1 (mild asthma), whereas children who needed Step 3, 4, or 5 treatment options formed Group 2 (moderate-to-severe asthma). Anthropometric measures including height, weight, NC, waist circumference, and hip circumference were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 127 children (82 male, 64.6%) with a median age of 8.3 (6.4-11.3) years were included. Atopy was present in 77 (60.6%) patients. 91 patients (71.6) were in the mild asthma group. NC of children with severe asthma was significantly wider than children with mild asthma (29.0 cm (27.0-32.0) vs. 28.0 (26.0-30.0), p = 0.019). The prevalence of children with NC higher than 90th percentile was also more frequent in children with severe asthma (15 [41.7%] vs. 21 [23.1%]). Result of multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that presence of NC >90th percentile was associated with severe asthma in children (odds ratio; [95% confidence interval] (2.52 [1.05-6.01]; p = 0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neck circumference, which is a simple anthropometric tool, is associated with asthma severity in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, GATA Military School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hacihamdioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, GATA Military School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mutluay
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, GATA Military School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ediz
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yeşilkaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, GATA Military School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Faysal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gok
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy, GATA Military School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suleyman Tolga
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yavuz
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: asthma; children; fat distribution; neck circumference; obesity