Prevalence and risk factors for wheezing in infants in the region of Pamplona, Spain.

Abstract Background Wheezing in the first year of life affects the baby's and family's quality of life. Risk factors such as male gender, nursery attending or a family history of asthma, and protective factors such as breastfeeding more than six months have been previously described. The aim of this study is to study the prevalence and risk factors for wheezing ever and recurrent wheezing in the first year of life in infants in the region of Pamplona, Spain. Material and methods This cross-sectional study was part of the International Study of Wheezing in Infants (Estudio Internacional de Sibilancias en Lactantes, EISL). Between 2006 and 2008, participating families answered a standardised validated questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, environmental factors or family issues. An analysis with the chi square test (statistical significance p Results 1065 questionnaires were answered. The prevalence of wheezing ever and recurrent wheezing were 31.2% and 12.3%, respectively. Male gender ( p  =  p  =  p  =  p  =  p  =  p  =  p  = 0.116 and p  = 0.851) or mould stains at home ( p  = 0.153 and p  = 0.992) were found. Conclusion The study of prevalence and risk factors for wheezing shows the importance of this public health problem, and allows the development of control and treatment strategies against preventable factors.