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HOME > J Prev Med Public Health > Volume 43(5); 2010 > Article
Comparative Study Body Weight at Birth and at Age Three and Respiratory Illness in Preschool Children.
Yoolwon Jeong, Kyunghee Jung-Choi, Jin Hwa Lee, Hwa Young Lee, Eun Ae Park, Young Ju Kim, Eunhee Ha, Se Young Oh, Hyesook Park
Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health 2010;43(5):369-376
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2010.43.5.369
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1Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Korea. hpark@ewha.ac.kr
2Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
3Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
4Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
5Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
6Department of Food & Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Kyung Hee University, Korea.

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of current body weight and body mass index (BMI) at age three and birth weight in developing chronic respiratory illness in childhood and identify possible interaction underlying its mechanism. METHODS: The study was carried out with 422 children who were enrolled in a hospital-based birth cohort. Birth related anthropometric data were collected at birth. At age 3 years, the presence of respiratory symptoms was evaluated by using the Korean version of core questionnaire for wheezing and asthma from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Physical examination was carried out to measure the child's weight and height. RESULTS: Children in the lowest birth weight tertile (aOR = 3.97, 95% CI = 0.94-16.68) or highest BMI tertile (aOR = 3.68, 95% CI = 1.24-10.95) at three years of age were at an increased risk of chronic respiratory illness. Children who were initially in the lowest birth weight tertile but now belong in the highest weight tertile had higher risk of chronic respiratory illness compared to those who had remained in the middle tertile (OR=16.35, 95% CI=1.66-160.57). CONCLUSIONS: Children with lower birth weight or higher BMI were at an increased risk of chronic respiratory illness. In addition, children who were initially in the lowest birth weight tertile but are now in the highest weight tertile had higher risk of chronic respiratory illness compared to those who remained in the middle tertile.

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JPMPH : Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health