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Selected Publication:
Grafenauer, P.
Erfassung einer etwaigen Korrelation zwischen einem erhöhten Body Mass Index und Atopie und Asthma bei Kindern und Jugendlichen
[ Diplomarbeit/Master Thesis ] Graz Medical University; 2009. pp.94.
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- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Advisor:
- Varga Eva-Maria
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- Abstract:
- Obesity and asthma have been on the increase, mostly in developed countries over the past decade. The aim of this work was to evaluate the incidence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren (7-9 yrs) and adolescents (13-16 yrs) with asthma and atopy and to investigate a potential relation between an increased BMI and asthma/ atopy. This work is a retrospective study of 716 patients aged 7 to 9 years and 248 patients aged 13 to 16 years from the Department of Paediatrics Divison of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases of the Medical University in Graz. Patients were included if data were available for height, weight, age, skin prick test, Spirometry and medication. The BMI for each individual was calculated. Overweight was defined as a BMI of >90th and < or = 97th percentile and obesity as a BMI of >97th percentile. Asthma was defined as doctor-diagnosed asthma and reversible bronchial obstruction in lung function testing. The prevalence of doctors diagnosed asthma in girls was 76,4% (7- 9 years) and 75,6% (13- 16 years) respectively. In boys 81,8% (7- 9 years) and 77,2% (13- 16 years) respectively were diagnosed as asthmatic. In schoolchildren overweight was found in 11,4%/ 11,7% (male/ female) and in adolescents in 6,3%/ 9,6% (male/ female) respectively. In the age group 7 to 9 years obesity occurred in 6,3% (male) and 5,7% (female) respectively. 6,3% of the male and 10,8% of the female adolescents were obese. There was no statistically significant difference (aplpha=5%) between overweighted and/ or obese patients with asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis or atopic dermatitis and patients of normal weight. Furthermore we couldnt find any relation between the dose of inhaled steroids and weight gain neither in children nor in adolescents. In conclusion, in our allergy and asthma clinic we found no relationship between an increased BMI and asthma/ atopy neither in children nor in adolescents. No association between the dose of inhaled steroids and weight gain was found in either age group.