Abstract | AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate occupational, environmental, early life and other risk factors associated with respiratory infections and antibiotics use in a general population and among asthmatic individuals. METHOD: This study included 15 842 participants of the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study aged 25-54 years from five Nordic countries, who answered a questionnaire covering respiratory outcomes, exposures, demographic characteristics and numbers of infections and courses of antibiotics in the last 12 months. Multiple logistic regression with and without adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index and centre were used to study the risk of infection and antibiotics in relation to asthma, and also the association between infection and antibiotics and occupations. RESULTS: In the whole population, 11.6% reported having three or more respiratory infections, and 14.7% had used antibiotics because of respiratory tract infections within the last year. Asthmatic participants reported tripled odds for such infections (adjusted OR 2.98, 95% CI 2.53-3.52) and antibiotics use (adjusted OR 3.67, 95% CI 3.18-4.24) as compared to non-asthmatic participants. Both in the general and the asthmatic population, female sex, obesity and exposure to building dampness were associated with respiratory infections. Female sex and current smoking and living in Tartu were associated with antibiotic use. The use of antibiotics was doubled in people hospitalised for severe respiratory infection in childhood. CONCLUSION:
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Authors | Marta A Kisiel, Xingwu Zhou, Eythor Björnsson, Mathias Holm, Anna Dahlman-Höglund, Juan Wang, Cecilie Svanes, Dan Norbäck, Karl A Franklin, Andrei Malinovschi, Ane Johannessen, Vivi Schlünssen, Christer Janson |
Journal | ERJ open research
(ERJ Open Res)
Vol. 7
Issue 4
(Oct 2021)
ISSN: 2312-0541 [Print] England |
PMID | 34853783
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Copyright | Copyright ©The authors 2021. |