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Updated: May 4, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Asthma control, adiposity, and adipokines among inner-city adolescents
Meyer Kattan1, Rajesh Kumar, Gordon R Bloomberg
1Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. mk2833@columbia.edu
Background:
There is an association between adiposity and asthma prevalence, but the relationship to asthma control is unclear.
Objectives:
We sought to understand the relationships among adiposity, sex, and asthma control in inner-city adolescents with asthma.
Methods:
We prospectively followed 368 adolescents with moderate-to-severe asthma (ages 12-20 years) living in 10 urban areas for 1 year. Asthma symptoms and exacerbations were recorded, and pulmonary function and exhaled nitric oxide levels were measured every 6 weeks. Adiposity measures (body mass index [BMI] and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric scans) were made, and blood was collected for measurement of allergy markers, adiponectin, leptin, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and C-reactive protein levels.
Results:
More than 60% of female subjects and 50% of male subjects were above the 85th percentile of BMI for age. Higher BMI was associated with more symptom days (R = 0.18, P = .02) and exacerbations (R = 0.18, P = .06) among female subjects only. Adiponectin was inversely related to asthma symptoms (R = -0.18, P < .05) and exacerbations (R = -0.20, P < .05) and positively with FEV(1)/forced vital capacity ratio (R = 0.15, P < .05) in male subjects only independent of body size. There was no relationship between adiposity or adipokines and total IgE levels, blood eosinophil counts, and exhaled nitric oxide levels. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry provided little additional value in relating adiposity to asthma outcome in this population of adolescents.
Conclusion:
Adiposity is associated with poorer asthma control in female subjects. Adiponectin is associated with improved asthma control in male subjects.
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