Associations between pediatric asthma and adult lung diseases

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> To date, there is no study examining how asthma diagnosed in childhood or adolescence is associated with diagnosis of subsequent lung diseases during adulthood. This study aims to examine the associations between pediatric asthma and adult lung diseases, with temporality and long interval times between asthma and lung diseases diagnosis. <b>Methods:</b> We used RAND Indonesian Family Life Survey Fifth Wave (IFLS5) fielded in 2014-2015, to study whether being diagnosed with pediatric asthma at 0-19 years of age was associated with increased risks of other lung diseases diagnosed in adulthood. We used weighted Poisson regression adjusting for age, sex, urbanicity, and insurance status to estimate risk ratios. <b>Results:</b> In crude analysis, pediatric asthma had significantly decreased risks of other lung diseases diagnosed at 20 years of age or above (RR = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.02-0.87). After adjusting for age, sex, urbanicity, and insurance status, the protective association still observed but the significance was not reached (RR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.02-1.02). <b>Conclusion:</b> Our results suggest pediatric asthma is associated with decreased risk of other lung diseases diagnosis during adulthood. Further studies are needed to better understand the possible mechanisms for the observed associations between pediatric asthma and adult lung diseases.