Source: Annual Congress 2002 - New aspects of asthma epidemiology
Disease area: Airway diseases, Paediatric lung diseases

Abstract

Recent reviews have shown little consistency on the association between socioeconomic status and asthma. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the association between asthma diagnosis, asthma related symptoms and atopy and socioeconomic status as measured by level of education and social class based on occupation in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. This analysis included data from 18070 adults (age 20-48 years), from 33 centres in 17 countries. Information on asthma diagnosis and related symptoms, level of education and occupation was gathered through a structured interview. Spirometry and methacoline challenge were carried out in 12179 individuals and total and specific IgE were measured. For the analysis we used logistic regression for each country and combined across countries by random-effects meta-analysis. Individuals of low social class group had higher risk of wheeze in the last twelve months, odds ratio 1.13 (95% CI 1.019 to 1.26). Similar results were found for wheeze whithout a cold, coughing three months a year and possible underdiagnosis of asthma. Consistent results were obtained when we used level of education. No significant associations found for ever asthma, asthma attacks, current asthma and bronquial responsiveness. Individuals with a high education level had a higher risk of atopy regarded as one or more positive specific IgE test (odds ratio 1.23 {95% CI 1.10 to 1.40}), cat IgE 1.32 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.60) and timothy grass 1.31 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.50) but were not significant when we used social class. Socioeconomic indicators do not show a consistent association with asthma phenotypes.

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E. Duran-Tauleria, J. Sunyer, X. Basagaña, J. P. Zock, A. Jaen, M. Kogevinas, J. M. Antó, P. Burney (Barcelona, Spain; London, United Kingdom). Influence of socioeconomic status on asthma symptoms and atopy: results form the European community respiratory health survey (ECRHS). Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 167

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