Table 1.
Basic characteristics of the study population.
| Variables | Controls (n = 881) | Asthmatics (n = 910) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 46.63 ± 14.40 | 45.64 ± 14.11 | 0.1424 |
| Female (yes, %) | 522 (59.25) | 543 (59.67) | 0.8565 |
| Education (N, %) | <0.0001 | ||
| Low (≤9 years) | 634 (71.96) | 514 (56.48) | |
| Middle (9~12 years) | 178 (20.20) | 238 (26.15) | |
| High (>12 years) | 69 (7.83) | 158 (17.36) | |
| Occupational hazards exposure (yes,%) | 306 (34.73) | 337 (37.03) | 0.3105 |
| Physical activity (yes,%) | 417 (47.33) | 252 (27.69) | <0.0001 |
| Keeping pets (yes,%) | 132 (14.98) | 153 (16.81) | 0.2898 |
| Planting flowers (yes,%) | 178 (20.20) | 192 (21.10) | 0.6401 |
| Family history of asthma (yes,%) | 5 (0.57) | 100 (10.99) | <0.0001 |
| Smoking status (N,%) | <0.0001 | ||
| no smoking | 647 (73.44) | 718 (78.90) | |
| Former smoking | 22 (2.50) | 74 (8.13) | |
| Current smoking | 212 (24.06) | 118 (12.97) | |
| Passive smoking (yes,%) | 302 (34.28) | 217 (23.85) | <0.0001 |
| Drinking (N,%) | <0.0001 | ||
| No drinking | 671 (76.16) | 767 (84.29) | |
| Former drinking | 18 (2.04) | 49 (5.38) | |
| Current drinking | 192 (21.79) | 94 (10.33) | |
| Sleeping quality (N,%) | <0.0001 | ||
| Good | 538 (61.07) | 250 (27.47) | |
| General | 278 (31.56) | 442 (48.57) | |
| Bad | 65 (7.38) | 218 (23.96) | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.22 ± 3.36 | 23.03 ± 3.48 | 0.2261 |
| Lung function | |||
| FVC (L) | 3.11 ± 0.88 | 2.91 ± 1.03 | <0.0001 |
| FVC (%, predictive value) | 102.80 ± 23.75 | 88.65 ± 23.12 | <0.0001 |
| FEV1 (L) | 2.61 ± 0.69 | 2.11 ± 0.84 | <0.0001 |
| FEV1 (%, predictive value) | 98.05 ± 24.68 | 77.82 ± 26.19 | <0.0001 |
| FEV1/FVC (%) | 84.73 ± 8.18 | 72.52 ± 15.18 | <0.0001 |
| PEF (L/s) | 5.52 ± 2.13 | 4.63 ± 2.08 | <0.0001 |