Table 2. Characteristics of children at 8 years of age classified by asthma status (n = 171).
| Variables | Children without asthma n (%) | Children with asthma n (%) | p-value a |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 0.09 | ||
| Girls | 82 (55.8%) | 9 (37.5%) | |
| Boys | 65 (44.2%) | 15 (62.5%) | |
| Maternal education | 0.56 | ||
| ≤High school | 51 (35.2%) | 10 (41.7%) | |
| Junior college | 55 (37.9%) | 10 (41.7%) | |
| ≥University | 39 (26.9%) | 4 (16.7%) | |
| Maternal allergies | 0.30 | ||
| No | 90 (61.2%) | 12 (50.0%) | |
| Yes | 57 (38.8%) | 12 (50.0%) | |
| Paternal allergies | 0.79 | ||
| No | 119 (81.0%) | 19 (79.2%) | |
| Yes | 28 (19.0%) | 5 (20.8%) | |
| Parental allergies | 0.46 | ||
| No | 73 (49.7%) | 10 (41.7%) | |
| Yes | 74 (50.3%) | 14 (58.3%) | |
| Family income per year (US Dollars) | 0.62 | ||
| <US$20,000 | 49 (36.0%) | 6 (31.6%) | |
| $20,000–50,000 | 49 (36.0%) | 9 (47.4%) | |
| >$50,000 | 38 (27.9%) | 4 (21.1%) | |
| Family members' moking status | 0.06 | ||
| No | 79 (53.7%) | 8 (33.3%) | |
| Yes | 68 (46.3%) | 16 (66.7%) | |
| Breastfeeding | 0.67 | ||
| ≤3 months | 116 (78.9%) | 18 (75.0%) | |
| >3 months | 31 (21.1%) | 6 (25.0%) | |
| Water leakage at home (days/year) | 0.49 | ||
| 0 | 130 (89.0%) | 20 (83.3%) | |
| ≥1 | 16 (11.0%) | 4 (16.7%) | |
| Cockroaches observed at home (cockroaches/month) | 0.96 | ||
| 0–2 | 57 (39.6%) | 9 (39.1%) | |
| ≥3 | 87 (60.4%) | 14 (60.9%) | |
| Number of walls with mold at home | 0.46 | ||
| 0 | 66 (45.2%) | 10 (41.7%) | |
| ≥1 | 80 (54.8%) | 14 (58.3%) | |
| Serum total IgE levels (IU/mL) | 74.8 ± 22.74 | 132.5 ± 90.58 | 0.27 b |
Data are presented as number (%) or median ± standard error.
IgE, immunoglobulin E.
a p values for differences between groups were estimated using Chi-square (Fisher’s exact) test.
b p values for the difference between non-asthmatic children and asthmatic children using a Mann-Whitney U test.