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Sex influences on lung function and medication in childhood asthma

Jenny Hallberg1, Martin Anderson, Magnus Wickman

  • 1Division of Occupational Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. jenny.hallberg@phs.ki.se

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|September 20, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Asthma impacts lung function in children, with girls experiencing greater effects on peak expiratory flow (PEF) and receiving less treatment than boys. This highlights potential sex-based disparities in pediatric asthma management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Environmental Epidemiology
  • Child Health Research

Background:

  • Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.
  • Understanding sex-based differences in asthma prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment is crucial for effective management.
  • The BAMSE birth cohort provides a valuable resource for studying early-life environmental influences on asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sex differences in asthma prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment among 4-year-old children.
  • To assess the influence of asthma severity on lung function (PEF) in relation to sex.
  • To analyze treatment patterns for pediatric asthma based on sex and symptom frequency.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the BAMSE population-based birth cohort study.
  • Collected questionnaire data on asthma symptoms, diagnosis, and medication at 4-year follow-up.
  • Performed clinical testing, including peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements, on a subset of children.

Main Results:

  • Children with asthma exhibited lower PEF compared to healthy children, with a more pronounced effect in persistent asthma for both sexes and transient asthma for girls.
  • Doctor's diagnosis of asthma did not differ significantly between boys and girls.
  • More boys than girls received inhaled corticosteroids, even when symptom frequency was considered.

Conclusions:

  • Girls aged 4 years show a greater impact of asthma symptoms on PEF compared to boys.
  • Girls with asthma symptoms are less frequently treated with inhaled corticosteroids than boys.
  • Findings suggest potential sex-based disparities in pediatric asthma management and its impact on lung function.
Abstract

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