Table 7 Measures

Functionally important respiratory symptoms (FIRS)

Have you ever had wheezing or whistling in the chest at any time in the past?

Yes/No

Have you had wheezing or whistling in the chest in the past 12 months?

Yes/No

How many attacks of wheezing have you had in the past 12 months?

None, 1–3, 4–12,

more than 12

In the past 12 months, how often, on average has your sleep been disturbed due to wheezing?

None, less than one night/week, one or more nights/week

In the past 12 months, has wheezing ever been severe enough to limit your speech to only one or two words between breaths?

Yes/No

In the past 12 months, has your chest sounded wheezy during or after exercise?

Yes/No

In the past 12 months, have you had a dry cough at night, apart from a cough associated with a cold or chest infection?

Yes/No

Functionally important respiratory symptoms (FIRS) >  = 3 symptoms

Adults who have at least 3 functionally important respiratory symptoms

Yes/No

Asthma Control Test (ACT)

In the past 30 days, how much of the time did your asthma keep you from getting as much done at work, school or at home?

1. All of the time

2. Most of the time

3. Some of the time

4. A little of the time

5. None of the time

In the past 30 days, how often have you had shortness of breath?

1. More than once a day

2. Once a day

3. 3–6 times a week

4. Once or twice a week

5. None at all

In the past 30 days, how often did your asthma symptoms (such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain) wake you up at night or earlier than usual in the morning?

1. 4 or more nights a week

2. 2 or 3 nights

3. Once a week

4. Once or twice

5. None at all

In the past 30 days, how often have you used a rescue inhaler, nebulizer treatment, or other controlling medication (such as albuterol)?

1. 3 or more times per day

2. 1 or 2 times per day

3. 2 or 3 times per week

4. Once a week or less

5. Not at all

How would you rate your asthma control during the past 30 days?

1. Not controlled at all

2. Poorly controlled

3. Somewhat controlled

4. Well controlled

5. Completely controlled

Uncontrolled asthma (ACT <  = 19)

Adults who have asthma control test value of fewer than 20

Yes/No

Asthma diagnosis

Has a doctor, nurse or other health professional EVER told you that you had any of the following lung or respiratory conditions?

Choose all that apply

1. COPD

2. Chronic Bronchitis

3. Emphysema

4. Asthma

5. Some other lung or respiratory condition

6. None of the above

In the past 12 months, has a doctor ever told you that you had any of the following lung or respiratory conditions

Choose all that apply

1. COPD

2. Chronic Bronchitis

3. Emphysema

4. Asthma

5. Some other lung or respiratory condition

6. None of the above

Tobacco use

Current established cigar smokers

Adult respondents who have smoked cigars fairly regularly and currently smoke every day or some days

Yes/No

Current established traditional cigar smokers

Adult respondents who have smoked traditional cigars fairly regularly and currently smoke every day or some days

Yes/No

Current established cigarillo smokers

Adult respondents who have smoked cigarillos fairly regularly and currently smoke every day or some days

Yes/No

Current established filtered cigar smokers

Adult respondents who have smoked filtered cigars fairly regularly and currently smoke every day or some days

Yes/No

Current established cigarette smokers

Adult respondents who smoked 100 + cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke every day or some days

Yes/No

Pack-year history of cigarette smoking

Adult number of cigarette packs smoked per day multiplied by the number of years they have smoked fairly regularly

Variable was Winsorized to the 95th percentile to limit the influence of outliers

Other tobacco product use

Adult respondents who are current established users of other tobacco products including ENDS, pipe or hookah, smokeless tobacco, or snus

Yes/No

Adult Cigar and/or Cigarette Smoking Status (4 categories)

1. Never user of cigarettes or cigars; 2. Current established cigar smokers and not a current established smoker of cigarettes; 3. Current established cigarette smoker and not a current established cigar smoker; 4. Current established smoker of both cigarettes and cigars. All categories could include users of other tobacco products

1 = Never cigar or cigarettes smokers

2 = Current established exclusive cigar smokers

3 = Current established exclusive cigarette smokers

4 = Current established dual smokers of cigars and cigarettes

Adult Traditional Cigar and/or Cigarette Smoking Status (4 categories)

1. Never user of cigarettes or traditional cigars; 2. Current established traditional cigar smokers and not a current established smoker of cigarettes; 3. Current established cigarette smoker and not a current established traditional cigar smoker; 4. Current established smoker of both cigarettes and traditional cigars. All categories could include users of other tobacco products

1 = Never traditional cigar or cigarettes smokers

2 = Current established exclusive traditional cigar smokers

3 = Current established exclusive cigarette smokers

4 = Current established dual smokers of traditional cigars and cigarettes

Adult Cigarillo and/or Cigarette Smoking Status (4 categories)

1. Never user of cigarettes or cigarillos; 2. Current established cigarillo smokers and not a current established smoker of cigarettes; 3. Current established cigarette smoker and not a current established cigarillo smoker; 4. Current established smoker of both cigarettes and cigarillos. All categories could include users of other tobacco products

1 = Never cigarillo or cigarette smokers

2 = Current established exclusive cigarillo smokers

3 = Current established exclusive cigarette smokers

4 = Current established dual smokers of cigarillos and cigarettes

Adult Filtered Cigar and/or Cigarette Smoking Status (4 categories)

1. Never user of cigarettes or filtered cigars; 2. Current established filtered cigar smokers and not a current established smoker of cigarettes; 3. Current established cigarette smoker and not a current established filtered cigar smoker; 4. Current established smoker of both cigarettes and filtered cigars. All categories could include users of other tobacco products

1 = Never filtered cigar or cigarettes smokers

2 = Current established exclusive filtered cigar smokers

3 = Current established exclusive cigarette smokers

4 = Current established dual smokers of filtered cigars and cigarettes

Duration of cigar use

Approximation of years of cigar use. If multiple cigar types were used, the maximum duration was taken

Other covariates

Secondhand smoke exposure

During the past seven days, about how many hours were you around others who were smoking [whether or not you were smoking yourself]? Include time in your home, in a car, at work, or outdoors

Variable was Winsorized to the 99th percentile to limit the influence of outliers

Past month marijuana use

Used marijuana within the past 30 days

Yes/No

Use of asthma medications

In the past 12 months, which of the following medications did you regularly take for asthma?

1 = Quick-relief inhaler—for example: albuterol (ProAir, Ventolin, Xopenex), ipratropium (Atrovent), or a combination inhaler (Combivent)

2 = Controller or long-acting inhaler including steroid inhaler – for example: beclomethasone (Qvar), fluticasone (Flovent), salmeterol (Serevent), tiotropium (Spiriva), or a combination inhaler (Advair)

3 = Other controlling medication – for example: montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate), theophylline, roflumilast (Daliresp)

5 = Oxygen therapy

6 = Some other asthma medication

1 = No medication use

2 = Quick relief only

3 = Control medications

COPD or other non-asthma respiratory diseases

Has a doctor, nurse or other health professional EVER told you that you had any of the following lung or respiratory conditions?

Choose all that apply

1. COPD

2. Chronic Bronchitis

3. Emphysema

4. Asthma

5. Some other lung or respiratory condition

6. None of the above

Yes/No

Body Mass Index (BMI)

1 = Underweight (BMI under 18.5)

2 = Normal (BMI 18.5–24.99)

3 = Overweight (BMI 25–29.99)

4 = Class 1 Obese (BMI 30–34.99)

5 = Class 2 Obese (BMI 35 +)

Age-4 categories

1 = 18–24

2 = 25–39

3 = 40–54

4 = 55 + 

Sex

1 = Male

2 = Female

Education-4 categories

1 = Less than high school or GED

2 = High school graduate

3 = Some college or associate degree

4 = Bachelor’s or advanced