Table III.
Risk factors at the first wheezing episode for current asthma at age 8 years
| Unadjusted analyses |
Current asthma at age 8 y |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any |
Atopic |
Nonatopic |
|||||||
| Risk factors | OR | 95% CI | P value | OR | 95% CI | P value | OR | 95% CI | P value |
| Age 3-11 mo | 2.3 | 1.0-5.0 | .045 | 0.96 | 0.36-2.5 | .93 | 5.3 | 1.4-19 | .012 |
| Male sex | 1.1 | 0.48-2.4 | .87 | 2.4 | 0.74-7.7 | .15 | 0.51 | 0.19-1.4 | .19 |
| Eczema | 2.7 | 1.2-6.5 | .013 | 4.8 | 1.7-13 | .002 | 1.0 | 0.33-1.0 | .98 |
| Any sensitization∗ | 3.0 | 1.2-7.8 | .023 | 13 | 4.3-41 | <.001 | NA | NA | .041‡ |
| Food | 3.0 | 1.2-7.8 | .023 | 13 | 4.3-41 | <.001 | NA | NA | .041‡ |
| Aeroallergen | NA | NA | <.001† | NA | NA | <.001† | NA | NA | .59‡ |
| B-eos ≥0.4 × 109/L | 1.3 | 0.57-2.9 | .55 | 2.6 | 0.93-7.4 | .067 | 0.53 | 0.16-1.7 | .30 |
| Parental asthma | 2.1 | 0.83-5.4 | .12 | 1.2 | 0.36-4.0 | .76 | 2.6 | 0.86-7.9 | .089 |
| Parental smoking | 2.2 | 0.99-4.7 | .053 | 1.4 | 0.51-3.7 | .53 | 2.6 | 0.94-7.3 | .065 |
| Breast-feeding ≥4 mo | 1.8 | 0.85-4.0 | .12 | 1.6 | 0.59-4.1 | .38 | 1.8 | 0.65-4.9 | .26 |
| Rhinovirus alone or with other viruses, RSV included | 1.6 | 0.74-3.5 | .23 | 6.4 | 1.8-23 | .005 | 0.42 | 0.15-1.2 | .11 |
| RSV alone or with other viruses, rhinovirus excluded | 0.31 | 0.11-0.88 | .028 | 0.27 | 0.06-1.2 | .089 | 0.48 | 0.13-1.7 | .27 |
| RSV/rhinovirus negative | 1.4 | 0.55-3.5 | .49 | NA | NA | .013§ | 5.4 | 1.9-16 | .002 |
| Multivariable analyses | |||||||||
| Age 3-11 mo | 3.6 | 1.4-9.5 | .009 | 1.8 | 0.49-6.4 | .38 | 7.3 | 1.7-31 | .007 |
| Eczema | 2.9 | 1.1-7.3 | .028 | 4.8 | 1.4-17 | .014 | 0.66 | 0.18-2.4 | .53 |
| Any sensitization | 3.5 | 1.1-11 | .030 | 12 | 3.0-44 | <.001 | ‖ | ‖ | ‖ |
| Parental smoking | 2.8 | 1.2-6.9 | .021 | 2.3 | 0.63-8.5 | .21 | 3.8 | 1.2-13 | .028 |
| Rhinovirus alone or with other viruses, RSV included | 1.5 | 0.61-3.7 | .38 | 5.0 | 1.1-22 | .035 | — | — | — |
| RSV/rhinovirus negative | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8.0 | 2.3-28 | .001 |
Risk was assessed by using the logistic regression model. Unadjusted analyses were performed for age 3 to 11 months versus age 12 to 23 months; male versus female sex; eczema versus no eczema; sensitization to any allergen, food, or aeroallergen versus no sensitization; B-eos count of 0.4 × 109/L or greater versus B-eos count of less than 0.4 × 109/L; parental asthma and smoking versus no asthma or smoking; and duration of breast-feeding of 4 months or greater versus less than 4 months. Multivariable analyses were adjusted with age 3 to 11 months, eczema, any sensitization, parental smoking, and rhinovirus positivity or negativity (P = .05 in unadjusted analyses). In NA cells P values were assessed by using the Fisher exact test because of 0 cell counts. Boldface and italic font indicate statistical significance.
B-eos, Blood eosinophil count; NA, not applicable.
Defined as IgE antibodies to any of the common allergens. See the Methods section for details.
NA for all aeroallergen-sensitized children who had atopic asthma.
NA for none of the sensitized children who had nonatopic asthma.
NA for none of the RSV/rhinovirus-negative children who had atopic asthma.
Not included in the model because there was no sensitization at study entry.