Spirometric reference values for children and adolescents from Kazakhstan

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Anthropometry
• Public Health

Background:

• Spirometric reference data are crucial for diagnosing respiratory conditions in children.
• Existing spirometric data predominantly originate from Western populations, with a notable absence of information from Central Asia.
• This study addresses the gap in spirometric reference values for children and adolescents in Central Asia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish spirometric reference curves for Kazakh children and adolescents.
• To investigate the influence of anthropometry, ethnicity (Kazakh vs. Russian), and living environment (urban vs. rural) on spirometric parameters.
• To compare the predictive performance of existing spirometric equations.

Main Methods:

• Spirometry was conducted on 1926 male and 1967 female Kazakh children aged 7-18 years.
• Key spirometric parameters measured included forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory flow 25-75% (FEF25-75%).
• Anthropometric measurements, including height, age, and inspiratory circumference, were collected.

Main Results:

• Height was the primary determinant of FEV1 and FVC in both sexes.
• Ethnicity significantly influenced spirometric values, with Russian children exhibiting greater FVC and FEV1 compared to Kazakh children.
• The living environment had a minor impact, with slight variations in FEF25-75% and FVC observed between urban and rural populations.
• Spirometric equations derived from developed countries demonstrated better performance for this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Anthropometric factors, particularly height, are the most significant predictors of spirometric lung function in Central Asian children.
• Age and ethnicity are also important predictors of spirometry.
• The influence of the living environment on spirometric parameters is limited in this population.