Dynamics of respiratory symptoms and lung function in epidemiological long-term study in children

Dynamics of respiratory symptoms and past respiratory diseases were studied in a cohort of children examined twice. Relative risk of having the same symptom/disease after three years was calculated, producing a ranking of the symptoms, believed to reflect their epidemiological significance. An independent ordering of the symptoms was obtained, based on the relative risk of lower airways illness in a group of children followed-up for two years. In the analysis of lung function dynamics, practical independence of PEFR measurements and respiratory symptoms was confirmed.