Phenotypes of childhood wheeze in Japanese children: A group-based trajectory analysis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric respiratory health
• Epidemiology of childhood diseases
• Phenotypic classification of wheeze

Background:

• Understanding childhood wheeze patterns is crucial for determining the causes and predicting the outcomes of respiratory illnesses.
• This research focuses on Japanese children up to 9 years of age.
• Identifying distinct wheeze phenotypes can aid in targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To classify wheezing phenotypes in children up to 9 years of age in Japan.
• To evaluate individual and environmental risk factors associated with identified wheeze phenotypes.
• To provide a data-driven approach to understanding childhood respiratory health.

Main Methods:

• Group-based trajectory analysis was used to identify distinct wheeze patterns over time.
• Wheeze data was collected retrospectively from maternal recall at approximately 1-year intervals for 1116 children.
• A multinomial logit model analyzed the relationship between identified phenotypes and risk factors.

Main Results:

• Five distinct childhood wheeze trajectories were identified: never/infrequent, transient early, school-age-onset, early-childhood-onset remitting, and persistent wheeze.
• The prevalence of these trajectories was 43.7%, 32.2%, 6.2%, 8.6%, and 9.2%, respectively.
• Infant exposure to tobacco smoke was associated with an increased likelihood of the transient early wheeze trajectory.

Conclusions:

• Five statistically derived trajectories of childhood wheeze development were identified in a Japanese cohort.
• The study utilized a robust group-based trajectory modeling approach for precise classification.
• Findings underscore the importance of environmental factors, such as infant tobacco exposure, in shaping wheeze phenotypes.