Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 105, Issue 8, August 2011, Pages 1140-1146
Respiratory Medicine

Low socioeconomic status is associated with chronic obstructive airway diseases

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2011.03.008Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Summary

Background

Worldwide, asthma and COPD are common causes of disability or death. Few studies have been made concerning the association with socioeconomic status (SES) and these diseases.

Purpose and methods: The aim of this nationwide population-based study was to determine the association with educational and income levels (SES) and chronic airway diseases (CAD), i.e., asthma or COPD (FEV1/FVC < 0.70). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to estimate odds ratios in relation to education and household income, using age, gender, smoking in lifetime and body mass index as possible confounders.

Results

In this population-based cohort aged ≥30 years the prevalence of asthma was 9% (588/6525). COPD was observed in 5% (338/6525) of research subjects. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis when adjusted for gender, age, smoking history and BMI, the basic educational level remained an independent risk factor for COPD (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.6) and the low household income for asthma (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0–1.9).

Conclusions

In this large survey low SES measured by educational and income levels are risk factors of asthma and COPD.

Keywords

Low socioeconomic status (SES)
Education
Income
Asthma
Airway obstruction (COPD)
Chronic obstructive airway disease

Cited by (0)