Overweight/obesity and respiratory and allergic disease in children: international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) phase two.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.Childhood obesity and asthma are increasing worldwide. A possible link between the two conditions has been postulated.Cross-sectional studies of stratified random samples of 8-12-year-old children (n = 10 652) (16 centres in affluent and 8 centres in non-affluent countries) used the standardized methodology of ISAAC Phase Two. Respiratory and allergic symptoms were ascertained by parental questionnaires. Tests for allergic disease were performed. Height and weight were measured, and overweight and obesity were defined according to international definitions. Prevalence rates and prevalence odds ratios were calculated.Overweight (odds ratio = 1.14, 95%-confidence interval: 0.98; 1.33) and obesity (odds ratio = 1.67, 95%-confidence interval: 1.25; 2.21) were related to wheeze. The relationship was stronger in affluent than in non-affluent centres. Similar results were found for cough and phlegm, rhinitis and eczema but the associations were mostly driven by children with wheeze. There was a clear association of overweight and obesity with airways obstruction (change in FEV1/FVC, -0.90, 95%-confidence interval: -1.33%; -0.47%, for overweight and -2.46%, 95%-confidence interval: -3.84%; -1.07%, for obesity) whereas the results for the other objective markers, including atopy, were null.Our data from a large international child population confirm that there is a strong relation of body mass index with wheeze especially in affluent countries. Moreover, body mass index is associated with an objective marker of airways obstruction (FEV1/FVC) but no other objective markers of respiratory and allergic disorders.Fifth Framework Program of European Commission QLK4-CT-1999-01288 Almeria: Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria 00/1092E Ankara*: Scientific and Technical Research council of Turkey SPAG-2237 Treatment and Research Foundation of Turkey for Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Research Foundation of Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Athens: the Thorax Foundation Research Centre, Greece Cartagena: Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria 00/1092E Creteil: French Institute of Health and Medical Research (Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) IDS 337/4D001D 737/69480 Ministere de l'Emploi et de la Solidarite 227/7HL02D Mutuelle Generale de l'Education Nationale 257/8PL01F Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maitrise de l'Energie ADEME/PRIMEQUAL 96 FJ012B Dresden: German Ministry of Education and Research 01 EE 9411-3 Hastings: Health Research Council of New Zealand, Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand Hawkes Bay Medical Research Foundation Kintampo*: Linkoping: the Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research Madrid: Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria 00/1092E Mumbai*: Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre Munich: German Ministry of Education and Research 01 EE 9411-3 Ostersund: the Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research Pichincha province: Wellcome Trust Porto Alegre: Rudolf und Clothilde Eberhardt Foundation, Ulm, Germany Ramallah: Al-Quds University, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Belgian Technical Cooperation Riga* Rome: Lazio Regional Health Authority Tallinn* Tbilisi* Thessaloniki: the Thorax Foundation Research Centre, Greece Tirana* Utrecht: Dutch Ministries of the Environment, of Health and of Transport, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Valencia: Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria 00/1092E West Sussex: South Thames National Health Service Regional Research and Development SPGS 57