Growth trajectories and asthma/rhinitis in children: a longitudinal study in Taiwan.
Studies have reported the effect of body weight in early childhood on asthma. However, the effect of growth patterns during school age on asthma and rhinitis has yet to be explored. We sought to investigate whether various growth patterns predict incident asthma and rhinitis.We conducted a nationwide longitudinal study (Taiwan Children Health Study) in 14 Taiwanese communities. Body mass index (BMI) z-scores of 4422 children aged 6-11 years were collected annually and distinct growth trajectory classes were identified using a latent generalised mixture model. Pulmonary function and exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) levels were also measured. Whether different growth trajectory classes predict incident asthma and rhinitis at age 12, 15 and 18 years was determined using a discrete time hazard model.Four growth trajectory classes were identified. Persistently overweight children exhibited significantly increased risks of asthma and rhinitis at age 12 years. Furthermore, being persistently overweight had a long-term effect on incident asthma (hazard ratio 2.47, 95% CI 1.18-5.12) and rhinitis (hazard ratio 1.44, 95% CI 1.12-1.84) in adolescence and early adulthood. Children in high BMI classes exhibited significantly lower pulmonary functions compared with normal growth children. FeNOlevels were lower in children in the high BMI classes and higher in children showing declining obesity compared with normal growth children.Persistently overweight children exhibited incident asthma and rhinitis in adolescence and early adulthood.
Taipei City Hospital, ZhongXing Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.|School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yang-Ching
YC
Chen
Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tsan-Hon
TH
Liou
Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene and Dept of Public Health, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan.|Dept of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Pau-Chung
PC
Chen
Dept of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Bor-Luen
BL
Chiang
Dept of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yao-Hsu
YH
Yang
Taipei City Hospital, ZhongXing Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hsien-Yu
HY
Fan
Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan leolee@ntu.edu.tw.|Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yungling Leo
YL
Lee
D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D009569:Nitric Oxide