Age at asthma onset and subsequent asthma outcomes among adults with active asthma

Abstract

Summary Introduction Little is known about the extent to which the age at which asthma first began influences respiratory health later in life. We conducted these analyses to examine the relationship between age at asthma onset and subsequent asthma-related outcomes. Methods We used data from 12,216 adults with asthma who participated in the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Asthma Call-back Survey to describe the distribution of age at asthma onset. Linear regression was used to estimate associations of age at asthma onset with asthma-related outcomes, including symptoms in the past 30 days and asthma-related emergency visits. Results Asthma onset before age 16 was reported by an estimated 42% of adults with active asthma, including 14% with onset at 5–9 years of age who reported experiencing any asthma symptoms on 21% of days in the past month. Compared to this group, the percentage of days in the past month with any asthma symptoms was 14.8% higher (95% confidence interval (CI): 5.4, 24.1) among those whose asthma onset occurred at <1 year. When age at onset occurred at 10 years or older there was little change in the prevalence of asthma-related emergency visits across age at onset categories. Conclusion Age at asthma onset may affect subsequent asthma-related outcomes.

Asthma-Related School Absenteeism, Morbidity, and Modifiable Factors

“…These sampling weights accounted for BRFSS and ACBS nonresponse and unequal sampling probabilities, as well as differences across states in the number of participating years during 2006–2010. 30, 31, 34 To properly account for the complex sample survey design, 33, 35 the entire dataset (N = 14,585 children ever diagnosed with asthma) was retained in the final analyses; only results generated from the stratum of the selected population of 8,881 children with current asthma attending school within the past 12 months (Figure 1) are presented. 35 …”

“…Variance under the sampling conditions (i.e., sampling with replacement) was estimated with the Taylor series method. 33, 36 For multivariate analyses, ORs, prevalence ratios (PRs; predicted marginal risk ratios) 30, 37 , and 95% CIs were calculated for associations between asthma-related school absenteeism and all dependent variables; these were adjusted for child age group, race/ethnicity, asthma medication use, and annual household income. Because many dependent variables were common (>10% prevalence in this study population) 38 , ORs were larger than PRs; therefore, this study highlights findings from PRs.…”

Active Asthma and the Prevalence of Physician-Diagnosed COPD

“…As in previous analysis of Asthma Call-back Survey data [32, 33], we categorized respondents as having active asthma if they reported that at least one of the following occurred during the past 12 months: talked to a doctor or other health professional about [his/her] asthma, took asthma medication, or experienced any symptoms of asthma. The remaining respondents, those without active asthma, are hereafter referred to as having inactive asthma.…”

Agreement between current and active asthma classification methods, Asthma Call-back Survey, 2011–2012

“…Evaluating the population with asthma is necessary to enact effective preventive measures and health policies to attenuate this burden, and various criteria have been developed by researchers to ascertain cases [4–17]. However, there is no uniform approach in identifying survey respondents with asthma, and the use of the differing classification criteria may have a substantial effect on prevalence estimates [18].…”

“…national surveys, such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the National Health Interview Survey, collect information on asthma to determine the prevalence and burden of the disease in specific populations and to guide public health efforts on alleviating the impact of asthma [21–23]. Using these survey data, two classifications of asthma status, current asthma and active asthma, were developed [4–16]. For example, persons with current asthma were survey respondents who have ever been told by a health professional they have asthma and still have asthma.…”