[Posted as supplied by author.]

Proportions of subjects with each outcome according to confounding variables considered in the multivariable analyses.

Variable

Asthma at 69-81 months

Wheeze and whistling at

69-81 months

Doctor diagnosed

asthma at 91 months

Atopy

Maternal education

    

< O level

13.1 (291)

10.7 (203)

22.3 (399)

18.2 (248)

O level

12.6 (360)

9.3 (263)

20.6 (561)

21.2 (465)

> O level

10.5 (341)

9.5 (305)

18.5 (581)

21.0 (559)

P value

<0.0001

0.3

0.004

0.07

Ethnicity

    

White

12.2 (927)

9.6 (720)

19.9 (1439)

19.9 (1171)

Non-white

14.1 (43)

11.0 (33)

23.5 (68)

30.2 (76)

P value

0.3

0.4

0.1

0.0002

Number of 0-15 year olds in household

    

1

12.0 (406)

9.5 (319)

20.0 (649)

22.2 (566)

2

12.2 (359)

9.9 (287)

19.7 (550)

20.1 (459)

>=3

12.9 (181)

10.0 (138)

20.6 (269)

17.9 (191)

P value

0.7

0.8

0.8

0.009

Sex of child

    

Male

13.9 (591)

11.0 (460)

22.9 (928)

23.9 (777)

Female

10.9 (433)

8.6 (338)

17.5 (669)

17.0 (547)

P value

<0.0001

<0.0001

<0.0001

<0.0001

Duration of breast feeding

    

Never

14.3 (239)

10.9 (179)

22.3 (353)

18.1 (203)

<1 month

12.6 (154)

9.3 (112)

21.4 (249)

19.2 (172)

1-3 months

13.9 (169)

10.1 (121)

21.3 (245)

19.7 (184)

3-6 months

10.6 (111)

8.5 (88)

17.9 (179)

21.8 (183)

>6 months

10.6 (273)

9.5 (241)

18.2 (447)

21.7 (461)

P value

0.001

0.3

0.003

0.1

Environmental tobacco smoke at 6 months

    

Yes

13.9 (352)

10.8 (271)

22.6 (534)

18.1 (333)

No

11.5 (620)

9.2 (489)

19.0 (981)

21.6 (907)

P value

0.003

0.03

0.0004

0.002

Maternal smoking during pregnancy

    

None

12.0 (795)

9.4 (614)

19.4 (1231)

21.3 (1108)

1-9 per day

12.7 (66)

9.7 (49)

23.8 (119)

15.5 (59)

10-19 per day

16.9 (92)

13.2 (71)

25.6 (128)

16.3 (61)

³

20 per day

11.0 (19)

12.9 (22)

20.4 (31)

15.6 (20)

P value

0.01

0.03

0.002

0.003

Maternal age

    

<20 years

19.1 (35)

12.5 (22)

28.6 (50)

14.5 (17)

20-24 years

14.0 (161)

11.2 (128)

24.6 (268)

17.6 (156)

³

25 years

12.0 (828)

9.5 (648)

19.4 (1279)

21.1 (1151)

P value

0.003

0.1

<0.0001

0.02

Crowding in home (persons/room)*

    

<0.5

11.6 (179)

9.2 (141)

19.9 (292)

23.2 (269)

0.5 - <0.75

11.6 (341)

9.4 (272)

19.1 (533)

21.2 (480)

0.75 - <1

11.7 (142)

8.3 (99)

18.4 (212)

19.1 (182)

1 or more

14.5 (239)

11.3 (184)

23.2 (357)

18.8 (220)

P value

0.02

0.05

0.004

0.03

Damp housing

    

Yes

13.0 (496)

10.5 (391)

20.4 (733)

20.9 (613)

No

11.4 (458)

9.0 (355)

19.4 (743)

20.2 (609)

P value

0.03

0.03

0.3

0.5

Household cats

    

Yes

11.2 (253)

9.5 (210)

19.4 (420)

18.0 (316)

No

12.6 (702)

9.8 (538)

20.2 (1061)

21.7 (910)

P value

0.1

0.7

0.5

0.001

Birth weight

    

£

2500 g

15.8 (74)

12.5 (58)

23.6 (106)

18.6 (71)

2501-3000 g

13.5 (159)

11.2 (129)

21.2 (243)

20.6 (191)

>3000 g

12.0 (791)

9.4 (611)

19.9 (1248)

20.6 (1062)

P value

0.03

0.02

0.1

0.7

Preterm delivery

    

<37 weeks

15.1 (66)

12.1 (52)

22.5 (95)

18.0 (65)

³

37 weeks

12.3 (958)

9.7 (746)

20.2 (1502)

20.6 (1259)

P value

0.09

0.1

0.3

0.3

Maternal asthma/eczema

    

No

10.7 (589)

8.0 (438)

17.6 (929)

18.9 (800)

Yes

16.5 (391)

13.9 (325)

26.1 (591)

24.3 (460)

P value

<0.0001

<0.0001

<0.0001

<0.0001

*Crowding in home calculated as number of residents/total number of rooms (excluding kitchen and bathroom)