Table 3.

The basic characteristics and their bivariate associations with repetitive (≥3 during the last 12 months) doctor’s consultations due to cough among the participants with current cough (n=975). The figures are percentages or means and 95% CI unless otherwise stated

Characteristic	Participants without repetitive doctor’s consultations due to cough, n=840	Participants with repetitive doctor’s consultations due to cough, n=135	P value
Female gender, %	83.9	83.6	0.93
Age (years)	48.5 (47.8–49.2)	49.6 (47.8–51.3)	0.40
Body mass index (kg/m2)	27.1 (26.8–27.5)	27.7 (26.8–28.7)	0.18
Family incomes, income class*	2.03 (1.98–2.08)	2.04 (1.90–2.17)	0.89
Moisture damage exposure, %	32.5	38.5	0.17
Ever smoking, %	30.4	37.8	0.085
Family history of chronic cough, %	46.3	53.0	0.15
Acetylsalicylic acid intolerance, %	5.4	9.8	0.049
Allergy, %	23.8	26.7	0.47
Depressive symptoms, %	5.4	6.7	0.56
Symptom sum	3.18 (3.03–3.32)	3.69 (3.28–4.10)	0.017
Disorder sum	1.50 (1.40–1.60)	2.33 (2.04–2.62)	<0.001
Chronic bronchitis, %	32.5	56.7	<0.001
Current asthma, %	16.1	40.0	<0.001
Chronic rhinosinusitis, %	26.5	45.9	<0.001
Esophageal reflux disease, %	16.5	23.0	0.068
Cough trigger, %	73.6	88.9	<0.001
Duration of the cough episode (median, range)	3–8 weeks (some days to over 10 years)	2–12 months (some days to over 10 years)	<0.001
Cough bout frequency (median, range)	Daily (less than weekly to several times a day)	Several times a day (less than weekly to several times a day)	<0.001
LCQ total score	15.7 (15.5–15.9)	12.3 (11.8–12.8)	<0.001
LCQ physical domain	5.06 (5.00–5.12)	4.08 (3.92–4.23)	<0.001
LCQ psychological domain	5.18 (5.10–5.25)	3.96 (3.78–4.13)	<0.001
LCQ social domain	5.45 (5.38–5.53)	4.25 (4.05–4.44)	<0.001
Number of doctor’s consultations due to cough during the last 12 months (median, range)	0 (0–2)	3 (3–20)	<0.001

*Income classes: 1= <15 000€/year; 2=15 000–40 000€; 3=40 000–70 000€; 4=70 000–120 000€; 5=over 120 000€/year. Other definitions, see text.

LCQ, Leicester Cough Questionnaire.