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- Deng, Qihong, et al.
(author)
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Early life exposure to ambient air pollution and childhood asthma in China
- 2015
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In: Environmental Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0013-9351 .- 1096-0953. ; 143, s. 83-92
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Early life is suggested to be a critical time in determining subsequent asthma development, but the extent to which the effect of early-life exposure to ambient air pollution on childhood asthma is unclear. Objectives: We investigated doctor-diagnosed asthma in preschool children due to exposure to ambient air pollution in utero and during the first year of life. Methods: In total 2490 children aged 3-6 years participated in a questionnaire study regarding doctor-diagnosed asthma between September 2011 and January 2012 in China. Children's exposure to critical air pollutants, sulfur dioxide (SO2) as proxy of industrial air pollution, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as proxy of traffic pollution, and particulate matter <= 10 mu m in diameter (PM10) as a mixture, was estimated from the concentrations measured at the ambient air quality monitoring stations by using an inverse distance weighted (IDW) method. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the relationship between early-life exposure and childhood asthma in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Association between early-life exposure to air pollutants and childhood asthma was observed. SO2 and NO2 had significant associations with adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.45 (1.02-2.07) and 1.74 (1.15-2.62) in utero and 1.62 (1.01-2.60) and 1.90 (1.20-3.00) during the first year for per 50 mu g/m(3) and 15 mu g/m(3) increase respectively. Exposure to the combined high level of SO2 and NO2 in China significantly elevated the asthmatic risk with adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.76 (1.18-2.64) in utero and 1.85 (1.22-2.79) during the first year compared to the low level exposure. The associations were higher for males and the younger children aged 3-4 than females and the older children aged 5-6. Conclusions: Early-life exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with childhood asthma during which the level and source of air pollution play important roles. The high level and nature of combined industrial and traffic air pollution in China may contribute to the recent rapid increase of childhood asthma. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Giezeman, Maaike, 1969-, et al.
(author)
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Adherence to guidelines in patients with chronic heart failure in primary health care
- 2017
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; 35:4, s. 336-343
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To describe adherence to international guidelines for chronic heart failure (CHF) management concerning diagnostics, pharmacological treatment and self-care behaviour in primary health care.DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study of patients with CHF, using data obtained from medical records and a postal questionnaire.SETTING: Three primary health care centres in Sweden.SUBJECTS: Patients with a CHF diagnosis registered in their medical record.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adherence to recommended diagnostic tests and pharmacological treatment by the European Society of Cardiology guidelines and self-care behaviour, using the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale (EHFScBS-9).RESULTS: The 155 participating patients had a mean age of 79 (SD9) years and 89 (57%) were male. An ECG was performed in all participants, 135 (87%) had their NT-proBNP measured, and 127 (82%) had transthoracic echocardiography performed. An inhibitor of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) was prescribed in 120 (78%) patients, however only 45 (29%) in target dose. More men than women were prescribed RAS-inhibition. Beta blockers (BBs) were prescribed in 117 (76%) patients, with 28 (18%) at target dose. Mineralocorticoidreceptor antagonists were prescribed in 54 (35%) patients and daily diuretics in 96 (62%). The recommended combination of RAS-inhibitors and BBs was prescribed to 92 (59%), but only 14 (9%) at target dose. The mean score on the EHFScBS-9 was 29 (SD 6) with the lowest adherence to daily weighing and consulting behaviour.CONCLUSION: Adherence to guidelines has improved since prior studies but is still suboptimal particularly with regards to medication dosage. There is also room for improvement in patient education and self-care behaviour.
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| 3. |
- Hederos, Carl-Axel, et al.
(author)
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Comparison of clinically diagnosed asthma with parental assessment of children's asthma in a questionnaire
- 2007
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In: Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0905-6157 .- 1399-3038. ; 18:2, s. 135-141
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Epidemiological evaluations of the prevalence of asthma are usually based on written questionnaires (WQs) in combination with validation by clinical investigation. In the present investigation, we compared parental assessment of asthma among their preschool children in response to a WQ with the corresponding medical records in the same region. An International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)-based WQ was answered by 75% of the parents of 6295 children aged 1–6 yr. Clinically diagnosed asthma, recorded in connection with admissions to the hospital or a visit to any of the outpatient clinics in the same region, were analysed in parallel. Finally, a complementary WQ was sent to the parents of children identified as asthmatic by either or both of this approaches. In response to the WQ 5.9% were claimed to suffer from asthma diagnosed by a doctor. According to the medical records, the prevalence of clinically diagnosed asthma was 4.9%. The estimated prevalence among children requiring treatment for their asthma was 4.4%. The sensitivity of the WQ was 77%, the specificity 97.5%. In the 1–2 yr age group the sensitivity was only 22%. This WQ was able to identify 54% of the children with a medical record of asthma. Forty percent of the children claimed by their parents to be asthmatic had no medical record of asthma. An ISAAC-based parentally completed WQ provided an acceptable estimation of the prevalence of asthma in children 2–6 yr of age, although only half of the individual patients identified in this manner are the same as those identified clinically.
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| 5. |
- Arne, Mats, 1954-, et al.
(author)
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Factors associated with good self-rated health and quality of life in subjects with self-reported COPD
- 2011
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In: The International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. - 1176-9106 .- 1178-2005. ; 6, s. 511-519
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Recent guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) state that COPD is both preventable and treatable. To gain a more positive outlook on the disease it is interesting to investigate factors associated with good, self-rated health and quality of life in subjects with self-reported COPD in the population. Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, postal survey questionnaires were sent to a stratified, random population in Sweden in 2004 and 2008. The prevalence of subjects (40–84 years) who reported having COPD was 2.1% in 2004 and 2.7% in 2008. Data were analyzed for 1475 subjects. Regression models were used to analyze the associations between health measures (general health status, the General Health Questionnaire, the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire) and influencing factors. Results: The most important factor associated with good, self-rated health and quality of life was level of physical activity. Odds ratios for general health varied from 2.4 to 7.7 depending on degree of physical activity, where subjects with the highest physical activity level reported the best health and also highest quality of life. Social support and absence of economic problems almost doubled the odds ratios for better health and quality of life. Conclusions: In this population-based public health survey, better self-rated health status and quality of life in subjects with self-reported COPD was associated with higher levels of physical activity, social support, and absence of economic problems. The findings indicated that of possible factors that could be influenced, promoting physical activity and strengthening social support are important in maintaining or improving the health and quality of life in subjects with COPD. Severity of the disease as a possible confounding effect should be investigated in future population studies.
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