Table 1.

Weights associated with each question on the questionnaire

Question Number	Variable based on question	Scoring system weights
1	*Age (16 – 34 years)	3
1	*Age (35 – 54 years)	2
1	*Age (55 – 74 years)	1
2	Sex male	1
3	**Wheeze in last 12 months	3
3.1	Breathless whilst wheezing	0
3.2	Wheeze in absence of cold	-1
4	**Woken by chest tightness in last 12 months	1
5	**Woken by shortness of breath in last 12 months	0
6	**Woken by night cough in last 12 months	0
7	Asthma attack last 12 months	2
8	Currently taking asthma medication	1
9	**Family history of asthma	1
10	**Hayfever/eczema ever	1
11	Smoker	-1

* Age was aggregated into 4 categories. The 4th age category (>= 75) years is excluded from the model because it is dependent on the other 3

** Key variables used in simple scoring of 'yes' answers to key questions