| 1. |
- Dratva, Julia, et al.
(author)
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Validation of self-reported figural drawing scales against anthropometric measurements in adults
- 2016
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In: Public Health Nutrition. - : Cambridge University Press. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 19:11, s. 1944-1951
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The aim of the present study was to validate figural drawing scales depicting extremely lean to extremely obese subjects to obtain proxies for BMI and waist circumference in postal surveys.Design: Reported figural scales and anthropometric data from a large population-based postal survey were validated with measured anthropometric data from the same individuals by means of receiver-operating characteristic curves and a BMI prediction model.Setting: Adult participants in a Scandinavian cohort study first recruited in 1990 and followed up twice since.Subjects: Individuals aged 38-66 years with complete data for BMI (n 1580) and waist circumference (n 1017).Results: Median BMI and waist circumference increased exponentially with increasing figural scales. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses showed a high predictive ability to identify individuals with BMI > 25.0 kg/m(2) in both sexes. The optimal figural scales for identifying overweight or obese individuals with a correct detection rate were 4 and 5 in women, and 5 and 6 in men, respectively. The prediction model explained 74% of the variance among women and 62% among men. Predicted BMI differed only marginally from objectively measured BMI.Conclusions: Figural drawing scales explained a large part of the anthropometric variance in this population and showed a high predictive ability for identifying overweight/obese subjects. These figural scales can be used with confidence as proxies of BMI and waist circumference in settings where objective measures are not feasible.
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| 2. |
- Ekström, Magnus, et al.
(author)
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Breathlessness across generations : results from the RHINESSA generation study
- 2022
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In: Thorax. - : BMJ. - 0040-6376 .- 1468-3296. ; 77:2, s. 172-177
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Breathlessness is a major cause of suffering and disability globally. The symptom relates to multiple factors including asthma and lung function, which are influenced by hereditary factors. No study has evaluated potential inheritance of breathlessness itself across generations.Methods: We analysed the association between breathlessness in parents and their offspring in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia generation study. Data on parents and offspring aged ≥18 years across 10 study centres in seven countries included demographics, self-reported breathlessness, asthma, depression, smoking, physical activity level, measured Body Mass Index and spirometry. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression accounting for clustering within centres and between siblings.Results: A total of 1720 parents (mean age at assessment 36 years, 55% mothers) and 2476 offspring (mean 30 years, 55% daughters) were included. Breathlessness was reported by 809 (32.7%) parents and 363 (14.7%) offspring. Factors independently associated with breathlessness in parents and offspring included obesity, current smoking, asthma, depression, lower lung function and female sex. After adjusting for potential confounders, parents with breathlessness were more likely to have offspring with breathlessness, adjusted OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.9). The association was not modified by sex of the parent or offspring.Conclusion: Parents with breathlessness were more likely to have children who developed breathlessness, after adjusting for asthma, lung function, obesity, smoking, depression and female sex in both generations. The hereditary components of breathlessness need to be further explored.
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| 3. |
- Johannessen, Ane, et al.
(author)
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Longterm follow-up in European respiratory health studies : patterns and implications
- 2014
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In: BMC Pulmonary Medicine. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2466. ; 14, s. 63-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Selection bias is a systematic error in epidemiologic studies that may seriously distort true measures of associations between exposure and disease. Observational studies are highly susceptible to selection bias, and researchers should therefore always examine to what extent selection bias may be present in their material and what characterizes the bias in their material. In the present study we examined long-term participation and consequences of loss to follow-up in the studies Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE), Italian centers of European Community Respiratory Health Survey (I-ECRHS), and the Italian Study on Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA). METHODS: Logistic regression identified predictors for follow-up participation. Baseline prevalence of 9 respiratory symptoms (asthma attack, asthma medication, combined variable with asthma attack and/or asthma medication, wheeze, rhinitis, wheeze with dyspnea, wheeze without cold, waking with chest tightness, waking with dyspnea) and 9 exposure-outcome associations (predictors sex, age and smoking; outcomes wheeze, asthma and rhinitis) were compared between all baseline participants and long-term participants. Bias was measured as ratios of relative frequencies and ratios of odds ratios (ROR). RESULTS: Follow-up response rates after 10 years were 75% in RHINE, 64% in I-ECRHS and 53% in ISAYA. After 20 years of follow-up, response was 53% in RHINE and 49% in I-ECRHS. Female sex predicted long-term participation (in RHINE OR (95%CI) 1.30(1.22, 1.38); in I-ECRHS 1.29 (1.11, 1.50); and in ISAYA 1.42 (1.25, 1.61)), as did increasing age. Baseline prevalence of respiratory symptoms were lower among long-term participants (relative deviations compared to total baseline population 0-15% (RHINE), 0-48% (I-ECRHS), 3-20% (ISAYA)), except rhinitis which had a slightly higher prevalence. Most exposure-outcome associations did not differ between long-term participants and all baseline participants, except lower OR for rhinitis among ISAYA long-term participating smokers (relative deviation 17% (smokers) and 44% (10-20 pack years)). CONCLUSIONS: We found comparable patterns of long-term participation and loss to follow-up in RHINE, I-ECRHS and ISAYA. Baseline prevalence estimates for long-term participants were slightly lower than for the total baseline population, while exposure-outcome associations were mainly unchanged by loss to follow-up.
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| 4. |
- Khomich, Maryia, et al.
(author)
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Association between lipid-A-producing oral bacteria of different potency and fractional exhaled nitric oxide in a Norwegian population-based adult cohort
- 2023
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In: Journal of Translational Medicine. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1479-5876 .- 1479-5876. ; 21:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Lipid A is the primary immunostimulatory part of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule. The inflammatory response of LPS varies and depends upon the number of acyl chains and phosphate groups in lipid A which is specific for a bacterial species or strain. Traditional LPS quantification assays cannot distinguish between the acylation degree of lipid A molecules, and therefore little is known about how bacteria with different inflammation-inducing potencies affect fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). We aimed to explore the association between pro-inflammatory hexa- and less inflammatory penta-acylated LPS-producing oral bacteria and FeNO as a marker of airway inflammation.METHODS: We used data from a population-based adult cohort from Norway (n = 477), a study center of the RHINESSA multi-center generation study. We applied statistical methods on the bacterial community- (prediction with MiRKAT) and genus-level (differential abundance analysis with ANCOM-BC) to investigate the association between the oral microbiota composition and FeNO.RESULTS: We found the overall composition to be significantly associated with increasing FeNO levels independent of covariate adjustment, and abundances of 27 bacterial genera to differ in individuals with high FeNO vs. low FeNO levels. Hexa- and penta-acylated LPS producers made up 2.4% and 40.8% of the oral bacterial genera, respectively. The Bray-Curtis dissimilarity within hexa- and penta-acylated LPS-producing oral bacteria was associated with increasing FeNO levels independent of covariate adjustment. A few single penta-acylated LPS producers were more abundant in individuals with low FeNO vs. high FeNO, while hexa-acylated LPS producers were found not to be enriched.CONCLUSIONS: In a population-based adult cohort, FeNO was observed to be associated with the overall oral bacterial community composition. The effect of hexa- and penta-acylated LPS-producing oral bacteria was overall significant when focusing on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity within each of the two communities and FeNO levels, but only penta-acylated LPS producers appeared to be reduced or absent in individuals with high FeNO. It is likely that the pro-inflammatory effect of hexa-acylated LPS producers is counteracted by the dominance of the more abundant penta-acylated LPS producers in this population-based adult cohort involving mainly healthy individuals.
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| 5. |
- Kisiel, Marta A., 1984-, et al.
(author)
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Association between abdominal and general obesity and respiratory symptoms, asthma and COPD : Results from the RHINE study
- 2023
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In: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 211
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IntroductionPrevious studies on the association between abdominal and general obesity and respiratory disease have provided conflicting results.Aims and objectivesWe aimed to explore the associations of abdominal obesity with respiratory symptoms, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease independently from general obesity in women and men.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was based on the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) III questionnaire (n = 12 290) conducted in 2010–2012. Abdominal obesity was self-measured waist circumference using a sex-specific standard cut-off point: ≥102 cm in males and ≥88 cm in females. General obesity was defined as self-reported BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2.ResultsThere were 4261 subjects (63% women) with abdominal obesity and 1837 subjects (50% women) with general obesity. Both abdominal and general obesity was independent of each other and associated with respiratory symptoms (odds ratio (OR) from 1.25 to 2.00)). Asthma was significantly associated with abdominal and general obesity in women, OR (95% CI) 1.56 (1.30–1.87) and 1.95 (1.56–2.43), respectively, but not in men, OR 1.22 (0.97–3.17) and 1.28 (0.97–1.68) respectively. A similar sex difference was found for self-reported chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.ConclusionsGeneral and abdominal obesity were independent factors associated with respiratory symptoms in adults. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were independently linked to abdominal and general obesity in women but not men.
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| 6. |
- Lindberg, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Sleep time and sleep-related symptoms across two generations - results of the community-based RHINE and RHINESSA studies
- 2020
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In: Sleep Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 1389-9457 .- 1878-5506. ; 69, s. 8-13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Study objectives: To analyze the association between sleep-related symptoms and sleep length in parents and their children in relation to other risk factors in both generations. Method: The participants were parents (n = 5,855, age 54.3 +/- 6.5 years, 45.2% men) who participated in the community-based Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study and one random member of their adult offspring (n = 5,855, age 30.2 +/- 7.7 years, 41.5% men) who participated in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) study. Both generations responded to identical questionnaires on sleep symptoms, including difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), snoring, nocturnal sweating, nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux (nGER), sleep time and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Insomnia was defined as either, or both, DIS and DMS in combination with EDS. Results: All sleep variables except nocturnal sweating were more common in offspring whose parents had reported the same symptom. After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking, physical activity, education, center and parents' total number of children, there were independent associations between sleep symptoms in parents and offspring for DIS (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.52, 1.20-1.93), DMS (1.34, 1.15-1.56), snoring (1.45, 1.15,1.83), nGER (1.65, 1.15-2.37), insomnia (1.39, 1.13-1.73), short sleep time (<6 h/night) (2.51, 1.72-3.68) and EDS (1.48, 1.26,1.72). There were no independent relationships between symptoms in parents and offspring for EMA, nocturnal sweating or long sleep time (>9 h/night). Conclusion: The familiar aggregation of many sleep disturbances was not explained by investigated lifestyle and environmental factors. This supports a heritable factor in sleep problems.
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| 7. |
- Lindberg, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Women with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing are less likely to be diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea than men
- 2017
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In: Sleep Medicine. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 1389-9457 .- 1878-5506. ; 35, s. 17-22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Women are often underrepresented at sleep clinics evaluating sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The aim of the present study was to analyze gender differences in sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment in men and women with similar symptoms of SDB.Methods: Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) provided information about snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), BMI and somatic diseases at baseline (1999-2001) and follow-up (2010-2012) from 4962 men and 5892 women. At follow-up participants were asked whether they had a diagnosis of and/or treatment for sleep apnea.Results: Among those with symptoms of SDB (snoring and EDS), more men than women had been given the diagnosis of sleep apnea (25% vs. 14%, p < 0.001), any treatment (17% vs. 11%, p = 0.05) and CPAP (6% vs. 3%, p = 0.04) at follow-up. Predictors of receiving treatment were age, BMI, SDB symptoms at baseline and weight gain, while female gender was related to a lower probability of receiving treatment (adj OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.3-0.5). In both genders, the symptoms of SDB increased the risk of developing hypertension (adj OR, 95% CI: 1.5, 1.2-1.8); and diabetes (1.5, 1.05-2.3), independent of age, BMI, smoking and weight gain.Conclusions: Snoring females with daytime sleepiness may be under-diagnosed and under-treated for sleep apnea compared with males, despite running a similar risk of developing hypertension and diabetes.
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| 8. |
- Lonnebotn, Marianne, et al.
(author)
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Late Breaking Abstract - Associations of fathers and their offsprings weight gain with non-allergic asthma
- 2018
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 52
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: We found that a father’s overweight in puberty was associated with non-allergic asthma in his future offspring.Aim: We explored the associations of both fathers and their offsprings own weight gain throughout the lifespan with offspring non-allergic asthma.Methods: We analysed questionnaire data from 3018 adult offspring (age 18-50) and their 2153 fathers (age 39-66) participating in the RHINESSA/RHINE generation study in 10 ECRHS centres in North Europe, Spain and Australia. The associations of fathers' and their offsprings weight gain was assessed by 9 body silhouettes (from lean to fat) self-reported for childhood, puberty and adult ages with non-allergic asthma in the offspring. It was analysed using a logistic regression model adjusted for parents and offspring variables, and cluster by family.Results: Non-allergic asthma was related to a weight gain of ≥2 body silhouettes from 8 years to puberty, both for fathers’ weight gain (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.05-2.72; adjusted for fathers asthma, offspring body mass index, smoking and education) and for their offspring weight gain (1.77 [1.12-2.79], adjusted for parents´ education, smoking and asthma, and fathers´ weight gain from age 8 to puberty). If the father was overweight at puberty, in addition to having gained weight, non-allergic asthma in the offspring was more than tripled (3.53[1.80-6.94]; weight gain and adjustment as given above). No effect of weight gain from puberty or within adulthood in fathers’ or their offspring was observed.Conclusion: Non-allergic asthma was associated with weight gain from childhood to puberty. This was found both for personal weight gain and for having a father who gained weight.
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| 9. |
- Nerpin, Elisabet, 1962-, et al.
(author)
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Bronchodilator response and lung function decline : Associations with exhaled nitric oxide with regard to sex and smoking status
- 2021
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In: World Allergy Organization Journal. - : Elsevier. - 1939-4551. ; 14:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a marker of type-2 inflammation used both to support diagnosis of asthma and follow up asthma patients. The associations of FeNO with lung function decline and bronchodilator (BD) response have been studied only scarcely in large populations.Objectives: To study the association between FeNO and a) retrospective lung function decline over 20 years, and b) lung function response to BD among asthmatic subjects compared with non-asthmatic subjects and with regards to current smoking and sex.Methods: Longitudinal analyses of previous lung function decline and FeNO level at follow-up and cross-sectional analyses of BD response and FeNO levels in 4257 participants (651 asthmatics) from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.Results: Among asthmatic subjects, higher percentage declines of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were associated with higher FeNO levels (p = 0.001 for both) at follow-up. These correlations were found mainly among non-smoking individuals (p = 0.001) and females (p = 0.001) in stratified analyses.Percentage increase in FEV1 after BD was positively associated with FeNO levels in non-asthmatic subjects. Further, after stratified for sex and smoking separately, a positive association was seen between FEV1 and FeNO levels in non-smokers and women, regardless of asthma status.Conclusions: We found a relationship between elevated FeNO and larger FEV1 decline over 20 years among subjects with asthma who were non-smokers or women. The association between elevated FeNO levels and larger BD response was found in both non-asthmatic and asthmatic subjects, mainly in women and non-smoking subjects.
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| 10. |
- Peréz Barrionuevo, Antonio Manuel, et al.
(author)
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Periodontal health status and lung function in two Norwegian cohorts
- 2018
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rationale and objectives: The oral cavity is united with the airways, and thus poor oral health may affect respiratory health. However, data on the interaction of periodontal and respiratory health is limited. We aimed to evaluate whether periodontal health status, assessed by the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), was related to lung function among young and middle-aged adults in two Norwegian cohorts.Methods: Periodontal health status and lung function were measured among 656 participants in the Norwegian part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECHRS III) and the RHINESSA offspring study. Each participant was given a CPI-index from 0 to 4 where higher values reflect poorer periodontal status. The association between CPI and lung function was estimated with linear regression adjusting for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, exercise, education, use of antibiotics, inhaled medication and corrected for clustering within families.Main results: Participants with CPI 3 +/- 4 had significantly lower FEV1/FVC ratio compared to participants with CPI 0, b (95% CI) = -0.032 (-0.055, -0.009). Poorer periodontal health was associated with a significant decrease in the FEV1/FVC ratio with an adjusted regression coefficient for linear trend b (95% CI) = -0.009 (-0.015, -0.004) per unit increase in CPI. This negative association remained when excluding asthmatics and smokers (-0.014 (-0.022, -0.006)).Conclusions: Poorer periodontal health was associated with increasing airways obstruction in a relatively young, healthy population. The oral cavity is united with the airways and our findings indicate an opportunity to influence respiratory health by improving oral health.
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