Linking common mental disorders and asthma in Brazilian adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis of the ERICA study

Abstract

Objective

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic disease of the airways, affecting all age groups, especially children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate several factors associated with asthma in Brazilian adolescents.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of a national representative sample of school-based adolescents aged 12–17 years from The Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA) stratified by region and conglomerate by schools. The authors studied the following variables: sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, smoking, eating habits, sleeping and mental conditions.

Results

Data from 66,567 adolescents were analyzed, 50.2 % of whom were female. Of the total, 52.7 % were between 12 and 14 years old. The overall prevalence of asthma was 14.5 % (95 %CI: 13.6–15.5). Asthma was associated with female sex (PR 1.35; 95 %CI: 1.15–1.57), white skin color (PR 1.25; 95 %CI: 1.04–1.50), private school (PR 1.26; 95 %CI: 1.05–1.52), smoking (PR 1.93; 95 %CI: 1.54–2.38); and alcohol consumption (PR 1.74; 95 %CI: 1.52–2.03). Excessive screen time (PR 1.19; 95 %CI 1.01–1.42) and short sleep duration (PR 1.28; 95 %CI 1.05–1.57) were also associated. Healthy eating habits, such as adolescents who ate breakfast, drank water, and ate meals with their parents, were associated with a lower prevalence of asthma. In relation to comorbidities, asthma was associated with common mental disorders (CMD) (PR 1.94; 95 %CI 1.64–2.27; p < 0,00001), but not with overweight or obesity (PR 1.09; 95 %CI 0.87–1.38). In the correspondence analysis, CMD was the strongest factor associated with asthma.

Conclusion

Asthma was associated with several determinants in Brazilian adolescents, but the association with CMD deserves special attention in this age group.