Individual-level socioeconomic status is associated with worse asthma morbidity in patients with asthma

Respiratory Research

Table 1 Demographic and medical/asthma characteristics presented as a function of high versus low SES

	Low (< 12 yrs education) n = 306		High (≥ 12 yrs education) n = 475
	Mean or %	95% CI	Mean or %	95% CI	F	p
Demographics
Age (yrs)*	52.3	50.8, 53.9	46.0	44.8, 47.3	37.42	< .001
Sex (% Male)	40	35, 46	40	36, 45	0.00	.997
Ethnicity (% Caucasian)	91	88, 94	92	90, 95	0.44	.518
Cohabitating (% yes)	68	62, 73	65	61, 70	0.47	.492
Employed (% yes)	49	43, 54	72	68, 76	45.73	< .001
Medical characteristics
BMI (kg/m²)*	27.8	27.3, 28.4	26.6	26.1, 27.0	12.32	< .001
Current smoker (% yes)	13	9, 16	8	5, 10	5.75	.017
Pack-years†*	12.9	10.9, 14.9	6.6	5.0, 8.1	23.84	< .001
Psychiatric comorbidity (% yes)¶	32	27, 37	27	23, 32	2.02	.156
Asthma characteristics
FEV1 (% predicted)*	77.3	74.6, 79.9	79.9	77.8, 82.0	2.32	.129
FVC (% predicted)*	87.8	85.3, 90.2	90.5	88.6, 92.4	3.03	.082
FEV1/FVC*	71.4	69.6, 73.2	72.9	71.6, 74.3	1.78	.183
Asthma severity (% moderate or severe)	92	88, 96	84	80, 87	10.94	.001
Asthma duration (yrs)*	18.2	16.5, 19.9	18.9	17.5, 20.3	0.45	.502
Atopic (% yes)	62	57, 67	77	73, 81	23.01	< .001
Bronchodilator use (# times in last week)*	9.6	7.9, 11.3	7.0	5.6, 8.3	5.77	.017

FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC = forced vital capacity; BMI = body mass index;
* These values are reported as means
† pack-years = average number of packs (20 cigarettes/pack) smoked per day X number of years smoked;
¶ Mood and-or anxiety disorder

ISSN: 1465-993X