[Prevalence of asthma among adults in France, data from the Constances cohort study]

The objectives of our study were to estimate the prevalence of asthma in adults in France and to study the effects of gender on the associations of asthma with the corpulence and socio-economic characteristics of individuals.

We estimated the prevalence of current asthma (asthma attack in the past 12 months or current treatment for asthma) from data collected at inclusion in the Constances cohort study in 2013-2014. Analyses were performed separately in men and women, using robust Poisson regression for multivariate analysis.

Using data from 34,100 participants in the cohort (men: 47.7 %; mean age: 44.6 years), the prevalence of current asthma was estimated to be 5.8 % (5.1 % in men, 6.4 % in women). The risk of asthma was increased in women with high body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference. In men, only a high waist circumference was associated with an increased risk of asthma. An association with low socioeconomic status was observed only among women.

The associations of asthma with corpulence and socioeconomic status differed between men and women. Additional analyses should provide a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for these differences.