Table 2 Prevalences of symptoms. The children born with a gestational age (GA) ≤ 32 weeks were compared with those born with a GA >32 weeks (birth weight (bw) <1500 g) and with controls according to gender

Have you had wheezing in

your chest at any time in

the last twelve months?

females

79(29.9)

32(30.5)

145(21.8)

0.009

0.05

0.9

males

42(17.4)

15(19.7)

122(18.9)

0.6

0.9

0.6

Have you had this wheezing

when you did not have cold?

females

35(13.3)

13(12.4)

87(13.1)

0.9

0.8

0.8

males

25(10.4)

8(10.5)

73(11.3)

0.7

0.8

0.96

Are you troubled by shortness

of breath when Hurrying on level ground

or walking up a slight hill?

females

60(26.8)

28(34.1)

104(16.3)

<0.001

<0.001

0.2

males

19(10.4)

8(12.1)

61(9.9)

0.8

0.5

0.7

Do you get short of breath

walking with other people of your

own age on level ground?

females

17(7.5)

6(7.5)

11(1.7)

<0.001

0.001

1.0

males

5(2.8)

2(3)

9(1.5)

0.23

0.3

1.0

Do you have to stop

for breath when walking at your

own pace on level ground?

females

12(5.3)

4(5.1)

1(0.2)

<0.001

<0.001

0.9

males

6(3.3)

0(0)

4(0.6)

0.004*

0.5

0.3

Have you ever had asthma?

females

33(12.7)

7(6.7)

31(4.7)

<0.001

0.3

0.1

males

21(9)

12(16)

28(4.3)

0.007

<0.001

0.08

Have you had an attack of asthma

in the last twelve months?

females

12(4.6)

4(3.8)

15(2.3)

0.05

0.33

0.9

males

5(2.4)

2(2.7)

2(0.3)

0.004

0.009

0.7

Do you have hay fever?

females

20(7.6)

8(7.5)

135(20.4)

<0.001

0.002

0.9

males

23(8.4)

8(10.5)

109(17)

0.005

0.15

0.8

Do you have eczema?

females

26(9.8)

9(8.5)

276(41.7)

<0.001

<0.001

0.7

males

23(9.4)

8(10.5)

196(30.5)

<0.001

<0.001

0.8