Lung Function, Dietary Intake, and Weight Status in Children with Persistent Asthma from Low-Income, Urban
E Whitney Evans1,2, Daphne Koinis-Mitchell3, Sheryl J Kopel3
1Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
Insights
Poor diet quality is common in children with asthma and obesity. Fruit intake was linked to better lung function (FEV1), highlighting the need for dietary interventions in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric respiratory health
- Childhood obesity and nutrition
Background:
- Asthma and obesity are common in low-income minority youth.
- Diet is a risk factor for obesity, but its role in asthma/obesity comorbidity is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine the association between diet and lung function in children with asthma.
- Investigate the effect of weight status on this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Collected lung function (FEV1 % predicted), anthropometric, and dietary data from 95 children (7-9 years) with persistent asthma.
- Used multivariable linear regression to analyze associations between lung function, diet, and weight status.
Main Results:
- Over 85% of participants had inadequate fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake.
- No significant dietary differences were found between children with and without obesity.
- Higher fruit intake (whole fruit and juice) was associated with improved lung function (FEV1 % predicted).
Conclusions:
- Diet quality was poor in this sample, irrespective of weight status.
- Further research is needed to understand diet's role in asthma, obesity, and lung function.
- Interventions addressing diet are crucial for managing childhood asthma and obesity.
Objective:
Asthma and obesity are prevalent chronic childhood diseases that commonly co-occur in youth from low-income, minority backgrounds. Diet is a known risk factor for obesity; however, its role in asthma/obesity comorbidity is not well established. This analysis examined the association between diet and lung function and effect modification by weight status.
Methods:
Lung function (FEV1 % predicted), anthropometric, and dietary data were collected from 95 children, ages 7-9 years old with persistent asthma, from low-income, urban communities in the United States. Associations between lung function, diet and weight status were examined using multivariable linear regression.
Results:
There were no significant differences in dietary intake between children with persistent asthma with and without obesity; however, >85% of participants did not meet recommendations for fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake for their age and sex. Only intake of fruit (whole fruit and juice) was significantly associated with FEV1 % predicted (-3.36; 95% CI: -6.5 to -0.2).
Conclusions:
Diet quality was poor in this sample, independent of weight status. More research is needed to understand the relationship between diet, lung function, and weight status, so that interventions can be developed to concurrently address obesity and weight.
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