TABLE 1.
Demographics and distribution of risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
| Lowlands | Highlands | p-value | |
| Subjects | 193 | 199 | |
| Male | 100 (51.8) | 87 (43.7) | 0.109 |
| Age years | 44.4±13.6 | 50.0±16.3 | <0.001 |
| Height cm | 166.3±8.9 | 161.1±9.6 | <0.001 |
| Weight kg | 71.7±14.7 | 67.4±13.7 | 0.002 |
| BMI kg·m−2 | 25.9±4.7 | 26.0±5.6 | 0.793 |
| Higher education# | 54 (28.0) | 10 (5.0) | <0.001 |
| Profession | <0.001 | ||
| Primary sector | 4 (2.1) | 92 (46.2) | |
| Secondary sector | 23 (11.9) | 8 (4.0) | |
| Tertiary/quaternary sector | 90 (46.6) | 13 (6.5) | |
| Housewife/husband | 31 (16.1) | 37 (18.6) | |
| Other | 45 (23.3) | 49 (24.6) | |
| Smoking status | <0.001 | ||
| Never-smoker | 110 (57.0) | 140 (74.1) | |
| Ex-smoker¶ | 12 (6.2) | 14 (7.4) | |
| Current smoker | 71 (36.8) | 35 (18.5) | |
| Male | 58 (81.7) | 30 (85.7) | 0.604 |
| Pack-years+ | 4.0 (1.6–11.5) | 11.0 (2.0–24.5) | 0.009 |
| Tuberculosis (ever-diagnosed)§ | 0 (0.0) | 3 (2.0) | 0.086 |
| Solid fuel | |||
| Solid fuel use | 145 (75.1) | 199 (100.0) | <0.001 |
| Nonsolid fuel use | 193 (100.0) | 82 (41.2) | <0.001 |
Data are presented as n, n (%), mean±sd or median (interquartile range). BMI: body mass index. #: the highest level of completed education above secondary education; ¶: two missing values in the lowlands and 14 in the highlands; +: two missing values in the lowlands and six in the highlands; §: 46 missing values, all in the highlands.