Relationship of infection with asthma, allergic
rhinitis/conjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis: multivariable analysis
Multivariable analyses were performed to investigate the effects of
early daycare attendance, older siblings, and severe airway infection on
asthma development (Table 2a). The strength of the negative association
between daycare attendance and asthma has been noted to decrease with
increasing age; the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of daycare attendance
showed a significant inverse association with asthma between 5.5 and 9
years (0.74 and 0.83, respectively), and this significant reduction in
the risk of asthma disappeared after 10 years (Figure 1A). The
association between older siblings and asthma was negative at 10 and 11
years (ORs, 0.90 and 0.90) (Figure S2A). On the contrary, the
association between the history of hospitalization due to
cold/bronchitis/bronchiolitis/pneumonia and asthma was positive
throughout childhood (ORs between 5.5 and 11 years, 1.66–1.82) (Figure
2A).
For allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, early daycare attendance (ORs
between 5.5 and 11 years, 0.74–0.85) (Figure 1B) and older siblings
(ORs between 5.5 and 11 years, 0.66–0.69) (Figure S2B) showed inverse
associations with its incidence throughout childhood (Table 2b). The
association of a history of hospitalization due to
cold/bronchitis/bronchiolitis/pneumonia with allergic
rhinitis/conjunctivitis was found to be positive at the age of 8, 9, 11
years (ORs, 1.17–1.22) (Figure 2B). On the other hand, daycare
attendance and older siblings were identified to be risks for the
development of atopic dermatitis at the age of 5.5 and 7 years. (Figures
1C and S2C) (Table 2c).