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Association between dietary habits and asthma severity in children

Denise Halpern Silveira1, Linjie Zhang, Silvio O M Prietsch

  • 1School of Nutrition, Federal University of Pelotas; *Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande; and #Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas; Brazil. Correspondence to: Dr Denise Halpern Silveira, Rua Raimundo Correia, 155, 96055-700- Três Vendas, Pelotas, RS-Brazil. denise_hs@hotmail.com.br.

Indian Pediatrics
|February 2, 2015
PubMed

Insights

This study found no link between children's dietary habits and asthma severity. However, maternal smoking during pregnancy, preterm birth, and obesity were identified as significant risk factors for persistent asthma.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease in children, with severity influenced by various factors.
  • Dietary patterns are increasingly recognized for their potential role in chronic disease development and management.
  • Understanding modifiable risk factors is crucial for effective asthma prevention and control strategies in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between specific dietary habits and the severity of asthma in children.
  • To identify potential nutritional or dietary patterns linked to persistent versus intermittent asthma.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted involving children aged 3-12 years with persistent asthma (cases) and intermittent asthma (controls) at two Brazilian teaching hospitals.
  • Dietary habits were assessed based on the frequency of food consumption over the past 12 months.
  • Nutritional status was categorized as obese or non-obese using WHO Child Growth Standards based on BMI-for-age Z-scores.

Main Results:

  • No significant association was found between the frequency of consumption of specific foods, food groups, or adherence to a pro- or contra-Mediterranean diet and asthma severity.
  • Maternal smoking during pregnancy, preterm birth, and childhood obesity were independently associated with persistent asthma.
  • Adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) for these factors were 2.11 (1.08-4.13), 2.61 (1.07-6.35), and 2.89 (1.49-5.61), respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Dietary habits, as assessed in this study, do not appear to be significantly associated with asthma severity in children.
  • Maternal smoking during pregnancy, preterm birth, and obesity are significant independent risk factors associated with persistent asthma in children.
  • Further research may explore other environmental or genetic factors contributing to asthma severity.
Abstract

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