Socio-demographic factors of overweight patients with bronchial asthma associated with receiving counseling on weight loss: population study data

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Asthma and obesity have a close relationship: obesity is a risk factor for asthma, the link of its pathogenesis, a predictor of heavier flow and the worst control. One of the priorities of non-drug therapy of asthma is the fight against overweight. Preventive counseling allows doctors to teach patients the principles of a healthy lifestyle, including controlling body weight. There is no domestic population-based research that reflects the coverage of overweight persons with asthma of the counseling on weight loss in various socio-demographic groups. Thus our study is actual.
 AIMS: Determine socio-demographic factors of overweight patients with bronchial asthma living in Russian urban areas associated with receiving counseling on weight loss.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was based on a cross-sectional population-based study Know Your Heart (20152018, Arkhangelsk, Novosibirsk, n=4504). For this research, we selected overweight patients with asthma (n=167). We applied the CHAID (Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detection) decision tree to identify socio-demographic factors associated with receiving weight loss counseling. CHAID method allows for the automated classification of the sample and the detection of relationships between the predictors and the analyzed outcome.
 RESULTS: The probability of obtaining counseling on weight loss increased by 1.39 times among retired women with obesity compared with the coverage level of counseling in the studied sample as a whole (61.7%). Among the men, the probability of obtaining counseling on weight loss increased 1.27 times in the presence of obesity. Reducing the likelihood of getting counseling both among women (1.39 times compared with the general indicator) and among men (2.2 times compared with the general indicator) was noted if their weight corresponded to the category of the excess body (BMI 25.029.9).
 CONCLUSION: 61.7% of the overweight urban population of two regions of Russia with asthma received counseling on weight loss. Groups of overweight patients with asthma, which are statistically significantly less often obtaining counseling on weight loss: persons with BMI 25.029.9, regardless of gender, and non-retired women with BMI 30.0. The decision tree developed by us will allow allergists-immunologists and doctors of related specialities to be wary of patients from the population groups identified in the study where the activity of conducting preventive counseling is reduced. In turn, this will increase the coverage of preventive counseling for patients with bronchial asthma and, as a result, will contribute to improving asthma control.