Abstract
The parallel epidemics of childhood asthma and obesity over the past few decades have spurred research into obesity as a risk factor for asthma. However, little is known regarding the role of asthma in obesity incidence. We examined whether early-onset asthma and related phenotypes are associated with the risk of developing obesity in childhood.This study includes 21 130 children born from 1990 to 2008 in Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK. We followed non-obese children at 3–4 years of age for incident obesity up to 8 years of age. Physician-diagnosed asthma, wheezing and allergic rhinitis were assessed up to 3–4 years of age.Children with physician-diagnosed asthma had a higher risk for incident obesity than those without asthma (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.66, 95% CI 1.18–2.33). Children with active asthma (wheeze in the last 12 months and physician-diagnosed asthma) exhibited a higher risk for obesity (aHR 1.98, 95% CI 1.31–3.00) than those without wheeze and asthma. Persistent wheezing was associated with increased risk for incident obesity compared to never wheezers (aHR 1.51, 95% CI 1.08–2.09).Early-onset asthma and wheezing may contribute to an increased risk of developing obesity in later childhood.
Funder
National Institute for Health Research
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
H2020 European Research Council
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Comissió Interdepartamental de Recerca i Innovació Tecnològica
Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
Foundation for medical research
Stockholm County Council
Swedish Research Council Formas
Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association Research Foundation
Swedish Research Council for Working Life and Social Welfare
Paris–Sud University
Seventh Framework Programme
University of Southampton
Human Nutrition National Research Programs
Medical Research Council
French Ministry of Research
French Ministry of Health
National Institute for Research in Public health
Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana
Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa
British Heart Foundation
Spanish Ministry of Health
British Lung Foundation
Arthritis Research UK
French National Institute for Health Education
UK Food Standards Agency
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
French National Institute for Population Health Surveillance
Nestlé Health Science
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
French speaking association for the study of diabetes and metabolism
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
The Netherlands Ministry of Spatial Planning Housing, and the Environment
Hjärt-Lungfonden
Erasmus Medisch Centrum
Italian Ministry of Health
French Agency for Environmental Health Safety
Sixth Framework Programme
The Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
Vetenskapsrådet
Mutuelle Générale de l’Education Nationale a complementary health insurance
Greek Ministry of Health
Diabetes National Research Program
Netherlands Asthma Foundation
Netherlands Heart Foundation
Triodos Foundation
National Agency for Research
Raphaël Foundation
Iona Foundation
Foundation for the Advancement of Heilpedagogie
Friesland Foods
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Ministry of Youth and Families
Science Foundation Ireland
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institute of Health
Phoenix Foundation
ERA-Net on Biomarkers for Nutrition and Health
ZonMw
Publisher
European Respiratory Society (ERS)
Subject
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine