Table 1

Demographic and respiratory health characteristics of the study population (N = 576)


Men‡
Women‡

Total number
280 (100%)
296 (100%)
Age 20 to 44 years
135 (48.2%)
145 (49.0%)
Age 45 to 70 years
145 (51.8%)
151 (51.0%)
Current smokers
145 (51.8%)
62 (20.9%)
Ex-smokers
76 (27.1%)
31 (10.5%)
Never smokers
59 (21.1%)
203 (68.6%)
Chronic cough*
69 (24.6%)
24 (8.1%)
Chronic phlegm*
59 (21.1%)
10 (3.4%)
Wheezing during the last year
127 (45.4%)
93 (31.4%)
Wheezing apart from cold
92 (32.9%)
38 (12.8%)
Persistent wheezing†
32 (11.4%)
18 (6.1%)
Standing height (m)▫
1.70 (0.08)
1.57 (0.07)
FEV1 (L)▫
3.50 (0.88)
2.65 (0.59)
FEV1 to FVC ratio (%)▫
75.5 (9.2)
79.1 (6.5)
MMEF (L/s)▫
3.29 (1.46)
2.81 (0.95)
FEV1 <80% of predicted▫
42 (16.7%)
21 (8.5%)
FEV1 to FVC ratio <70%▫
49 (19.5%)
24 (9.8%)
FEV1<80% of predicted and FEV1/FVC<70%▫
26 (10.4%)
10 (4.1%)

‡Number (%) or mean (standard deviation) are given

▫Number of subjects with lung function data: 497 (251 men and 246 women)

* Most of the days at least three months a year during two consecutive years

† Wheezing most of the days or night

Jaén et al. Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 2006 5:2   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-5-2