Prospective health diary study for new onset chest symptoms in the Japanese general population

Our aim was to analyze the incidence of new onset chest symptoms for the period of a month and to evaluate the possible association of these chest symptoms with demographic, socioeconomic or clinical characteristics.

Prospective observational cohort study using a self-reported health diary among subjects without baseline chest diseases.

A nationally representative sample of households in Japan.

Of a total 3,568 subjects from the study recruitment sample, 3,477 participants completed the diary; of these, 127 participants with active chest diseases at baseline were excluded and the remaining 3,350 participants were analyzed.

The mean number of episodes of chest symptoms was 1.19 with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.0-2.0 and the incidence was 21% (95% CI, 10-30%). Cough was the most frequent chest symptom with the mean number of episodes of 1.14 and the prevalence of 20%. Chest pain, dyspnea, palpitation, and wheezing were identified in less than 1%. Associated factors for cough were younger age, unemployment, and poor physical quality of life. Associated factors for chest pain included older age, living in smaller cities, unemployment, higher educational attainment, and poor physical and mental quality of life.

Chest symptoms are common in the Japanese general population. Cough is the most frequent symptom, followed by chest pain. Younger age, unemployment, and poor physical quality of life are significantly associated with cough.