Table 4.
Prevalence and prevalence ratio of the study end points according to the speed of weight gain (in Z-scores) during the first two years of life: children (n 669) aged 4–11 years, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 1997–2005
| End point/weight gain* | n | % | PR† | 95 % CI | PR‡ | 95 % CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms of asthma | ||||||
| Slow | 13 | 14·0 | 0·66 | 0·41, 1·05 | 0·65 | 0·42, 0·99 |
| Normal | 80 | 21·2 | 1·00 | – | 1·00 | – |
| Fast | 41 | 20·7 | 0·98 | 0·71, 1·34 | 1·00 | 0·71, 1·40 |
| Wheezing in the previous 12 months | ||||||
| Slow | 20 | 21·5 | 0·79 | 0·52, 1·19 | 0·80 | 0·55, 1·15 |
| Normal | 103 | 27·2 | 1·00 | – | 1·00 | – |
| Fast | 48 | 24·2 | 0·89 | 0·66, 1·20 | 0·91 | 0·67, 1·25 |
| Forced expiratory ratio (FEV1:FVC) | ||||||
| Slow | 26 | 39·4 | 0·96 | 0·75, 1·22 | 1·00 | 0·80, 1·26 |
| Normal | 122 | 41·1 | 1·00 | – | 1·00 | – |
| Fast | 70 | 48·3 | 1·17 | 0·92, 1·50 | 1·05 | 0·80, 1·38 |
| Skin reactivity to allergens | ||||||
| Slow | 24 | 26·4 | 0·86 | 0·56, 1·35 | 0·86 | 0·57, 1·30 |
| Normal | 110 | 30·5 | 1·00 | – | 1·00 | – |
| Fast | 70 | 36·5 | 1·20 | 0·91, 1·56 | 1·07 | 0·81, 1·42 |
| IgE detectable for allergens | ||||||
| Slow | 47 | 52·2 | 1·05 | 0·85, 1·30 | 1·02 | 0·81, 1·30 |
| Normal | 177 | 49·9 | 1·00 | – | 1·00 | – |
| Fast | 97 | 51·1 | 1·02 | 0·88, 1·19 | 0·98 | 0·82, 1·16 |
n, number of cases; PR, prevalence ratio; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC, forced vital capacity.
Significant associations are indicated in bold font.
*Weight gain: slow = Z-score <−0·67; normal = Z-score ≥−0·67 to ≤0·67; fast = Z-score >0·67.
†Crude prevalence ratio.
‡Prevalence ratio adjusted for sex, age, maternal schooling, parental asthma, birth weight, duration of breast-feeding, smoking during pregnancy, mould in the house in the first year of life, BMI, number of older siblings, household pets, number of persons per room, number of children aged <5 years in the household and paving in the street.