Table 3. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the subjects included in the study, by abdominal obesity group.a .
| Variable | Without abdominal obesity | With abdominal obesity | p* |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 258) | (n = 667) | ||
| Female gender | 167 (65) | 564 (85) | < 0.01 |
| Age, years | 36 ± 15 | 48 ± 14 | < 0.01 |
| Low level of educationb | 16 (6) | 114 (17) | < 0.01 |
| Late-onset asthma (≥ 18 years) | 67 (26) | 239 (36) | < 0.01 |
| Comorbiditiesc | 37 (14) | 327 (49) | < 0.01 |
| Diagnosis of rhinitis | 234 (91) | 620 (93) | 0.13 |
| Positive skin-prick test result | 174 (67) | 389 (58) | 0.01 |
| Diagnosis of GERD | 96 (37) | 303 (45) | 0.31 |
| Severe depressiond | 4 (2) | 53 (8) | < 0.01 |
| High dose of asthma medicatione | 75 (29) | 362 (54) | < 0.01 |
| Total serum IgE, IU/mL | 300 (114-566) | 262 (103-498) | 0.20 |
| Eosinophils ≥ 260 cells/µL | 138 (54) | 294 (45) | 0.01 |
| Eosinophils, cells/µL | 282 (143-464) | 236 (132-379) | 0.05 |
| Neutrophils, cells/µL | 3,326 (2,404-4,387) | 3,581 (2,529-4,663) | 0.09 |
GERD: gastroesophageal reflux disease. aValues expressed as n (%), as mean ± SD, or as median (interquartile range). bLow level of education: being illiterate or having had fewer than 5 years of schooling. cComorbidities: hypertension, diabetes, and/or dyslipidemia. dSevere depression: severe level of depression as assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory. eHigh dose of medication: based on use of inhaled corticosteroids. *Chi-square test for categorical variables and Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables.