Table 4.

Relationship between severity and persistence of asthma and CBCL/DSM-IV problems from age 5–17

	Multivariate logistic GEE model (years 5–17 inclusivea)
	Affective problems	Anxiety problems	Somatic problems	ADHD problems	Oppositional defiant problems	Conduct problems
Severity of asthma age 5 years
No asthma
OR	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)
Mild asthma
OR	0.91	1.22	1.16	1.52	1.18	1.32
95% CI	0.58–1.44	0.75–1.98	0.84–1.62	0.73–3.16	0.78–1.81	0.89–1.96
p value	0.692	0.427	0.369	0.262	0.434	0.163
Moderate asthma
OR	1.43	1.59	1.90**	2.54*	1.46	1.57
95% CI	0.85–2.41	0.90–2.79	1.30–2.77	1.16–5.58	0.87–2.44	0.94–2.62
p value	0.179	0.108	0.001	0.020	0.151	0.086
Severe asthma
OR	3.42**	3.13**	2.70**	1.89	2.38**	2.24**
95% CI	2.29–5.10	1.98–4.95	1.93–3.79	0.84–4.27	1.56–3.64	1.48–3.39
p value	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.126	<0.001	<0.001
Persistence of asthma age 5 years
No asthma
OR	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)	1.00 (ref.)
Remitted asthma
OR	1.20	1.45	1.06	2.34*	1.34	1.29
95% CI	0.76–1.89	0.87–2.42	0.71–1.59	1.21–4.51	0.84–2.13	0.80–2.09
p value	0.431	0.156	0.775	0.011	0.220	0.300
Later onset asthma
OR	1.97**	1.67*	1.42*	2.26*	0.95	1.11
95% CI	1.38–2.81	1.05–2.65	1.04–1.94	1.11–4.62	0.61–1.49	0.76–1.62
p value	<0.001	0.030	0.030	0.025	0.822	0.583
Persistent asthma
OR	2.26**	2.64**	2.41**	2.63**	1.92**	1.91**
95% CI	1.65–3.10	1.84–3.79	1.86–3.13	1.38–5.03	1.37–2.69	1.39–2.62
p value	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.003	<0.001	<0.001

CBCL, Child Behavior Checklist; GEE, generalized estimating equations; ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.

^aAdjusted for maternal age, maternal education, maternal smoking in pregnancy, maternal smoking at age 5, maternal history of mental health problems at age 8 and family functioning at age 5 years.

^*p<0.05

^**p<0.005.