Severity of rhinitis and wheezing is strongly associated in preschoolers: A population-based study

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Pereira, AM (Author) Other; Morais Almeida, M (Author) Other; Santos, N (Author) Other; Nunes, C (Author) Other; Bousquet, J (Author) Other; Fonseca, J (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Pediatric Allergy and Immunology

Vol. 26

Pages: 618-627

ISSN: 0905-6157

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citations

Scopus - 11 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00G-QBQ

DOI: 10.1111/pai.12430

Abstract (EN): Background: In preschool children, no study assessed the relation between wheezing and rhinitis severity. Our aims were to estimate the prevalence of current wheezing (CW) in preschoolers and to study the association between CW and current rhinitis (CR), considering its severity/persistency. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, nationwide, population-based study including a representative sample of 5003 Portuguese children aged 3-5 years. Data were collected by a face-to-face interview with caregivers using an adapted ISAAC questionnaire. CW was defined as presence of >= 1 wheezing episode in the previous 12 months. Rhinitis severity/persistency was classified according to Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma. Results: Current wheezing prevalence was 24.5% [95% CI 23.3-25.7]; 9.4% of the participants had >= 4 wheezing episodes in the previous year. Children with CR had an odds ratio (OR) of 4.0 [95% CI 3.4-4.5] for CW; it was highest for children with moderate-severe persistent rhinitis (11.5 [95% CI 8.1-16.3]), even after adjusting for possible confounders. Wheezers with CR reported more wheezing treatment use (p = 0.024) than those without CR. There was a trend for a higher number of wheezing episodes with more persistent and severe nasal disease - 48.4% of children with moderate-severe persistent rhinitis had >4 wheezing episodes vs. 28.9% in moderate-severe intermittent, 20.0% in mild persistent, 10.8% in mild intermittent, and 3.6% in those without CR; p < 0.001. Conclusions: Current wheezing was present in almost 25% of preschool children and was strongly associated with rhinitis, especially moderate-severe persistent disease. Preschoolers with both CW and rhinitis seem to have a more severe phenotype, emphasizing the need for concurrent evaluation of nasal and bronchial symptoms even in small children.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10