Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? Philippa Ellwood Senior Research Fellow Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health,

Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema?

Philippa Ellwood

Senior Research Fellow

Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health,

The University of Auckland

http://www.globalasthmanetwork.org

Global findings from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood

(ISAAC) Phase Three

Ellwood P, Asher MI, García-Marcos L, Williams H, Keil U, Robertson C, Nagel G and the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group. Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? Global findings from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three. Thorax 2013; 68(4):351-360.

© ISAAC 2012

http://isaac.auckland.ac.nz

1991-2012

Thanks to

Children

Parents

School staff

Funders

● The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of NZ● The Auckland Medical Research Foundation● The Health Research Council of NZ● The National Child Health Research Foundation● The Hawke's Bay Medical Research Foundation● The Waikato Medical Research Foundation● Glaxo Wellcome NZ, and International Medical Affairs● Astra NZ● Maurice & Phyllis Paykel Trust● BUPA Foundation● NZ Lotteries Commission● The University of Auckland

Funders of The ISAAC Programme inNew Zealand

© ISAAC 2012

ISAAC Network : 306 research centres in 105 countries

© ISAAC 2012

ISAAC studied three diseases

http://isaac.auckland.ac.nz

Asthma

Rhinoconjunctivitis

Eczema

Number of Centres and Countries

ISAAC Phase Three Field work 2001 - 2003


Adolescent group – 233 centres from 97 countries

ISAAC Phase Three


Adolescent group – 233 centres from 97 countries

Childrens group – 144 centres from 61 countries

Asher MI et al. Eur Resp J 1995; 8: 483-91Ellwood P et al. Int J Tub Lung Dis 2005; 9: 10-16

ISAAC Phase Three

• 13–14 year old adolescents and (optional) 6–7 year old children

Phase Three Methods

ISAAC multicentre, multicountry, cross-sectional study


• Standardised core written questionnaires

Phase Three Methods




• A video with clinical signs and symptoms for the adolescents

Phase Three Methods




• A video with clinical symptoms and signs for the adolescents

• An optional environmental questionnaire

Phase Three Methods




• A video with clinical symptoms and signs for the adolescents

• An optional environmental questionnaire

• Questionnaires were self-completed by adolescents and by parents of the children

Phase Three Methods


• Randomly selected schools from a defined area

Phase Three Methods



• 3000 of each age group

Phase Three Methods




• Centres followed written guidelines for fieldworkers

Phase Three Methods





• Questionnaires translated 53 languages & back translated

Phase Three Methods






• Ethical approval obtained by each centre

Phase Three Methods






• Ethical approval obtained by each centre

• Centres found their own funding

Phase Three Methods


Detailed methodology (centre report) and data checks

Phase Three Methods



Adherence to the ISAAC protocol was assessed and centres with following response rates were excluded:

Phase Three Methods




<70% for the adolescent group

Phase Three Methods





<60% for the children

Phase Three Methods





<60% for the children

<1000 participants for both age groups

Phase Three Methods


Auckland

Auckland

Beijing

Guangzhou

HongKong

Hungary

Jaipur

Sweden

Samoa

Tokelau

Core questionnaires - wheeze

Current symptoms of wheeze: ‘Have you (has your child) had wheezing or whistling in the chest in the past 12 months?’



Severe wheeze symptoms: Defined as participants who in the past 12 months had ≥4 attacks of wheeze, or ≥1 night per week sleep disturbance from wheeze, or wheeze affecting speech



Severe wheeze symptoms: Defined as participants who in the past 12 months had ≥4 attacks of wheeze, or ≥1 night per week sleep disturbance from wheeze, or wheeze affecting speech

For adolescents (video):‘Has your breathing ever been like this in the past 12 months?’ was defined as ‘current wheeze (VQ)’


Core questionnaires – rhinoconjunctivitis

Current symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis : ‘In the past 12 months ‘have you (has your child) had a problem with sneezing or a runny or blocked nose when you (he/she) DID NOT have a cold or flu?’ and ‘In the past 12 months, has this nose problem been accompanied by itchy watery eyes?’


Current symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis : ‘In the past 12 months ‘have you (has your child) had a problem with sneezing or a runny or blocked nose when you (he/She) DID NOT have a cold or flu?’ and ‘In the past 12 months, has this nose problem been accompanied by itchy watery eyes?’

Severe symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis: Defined as participants who, in the past 12 months, had itchy watery eyes and who answered ‘a lot’ to their nose problems interfering with their daily activities


Core questionnaires – eczema

Current symptoms of eczema: ‘Have you (has your child) had this itchy rash at any time in the past 12 months?’ and ‘Has this itchy rash at any time affected any of the following places: the folds of the elbows, behind the knees, in front of the ankles, under the buttocks, or around the neck, ears or eyes?’ question preceded by:Have you/has your child ever had an itchy rash coming and going for at least 6 months?



Severe symptoms of eczema:Defined as participants who, in the past 12 months, had sleep disturbance one or more times per week


DIET


Severe symptoms of eczema: Defined as participants who in the past 12 months had sleep disturbance one or more times per week.


The environmental questionnaire diet questions

Respondents were asked: ‘In the past 12 months how often, on average, did you (did your child) eat or drink the following food groups:


Respondents were asked: ‘In the past 12 months how often, on average, did you (did your child) eat or drink the following food groups:

Meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables (green and root), pulses

(peas, beans, lentils), cereal (including bread), pasta,

rice, butter, margarine, nuts, potatoes, milk, eggs and

fast food/burgers.


The environmental questionnaire food intake categories

The three categories for food intake were:



Never or occasionally




Once or twice per week




Once or twice per week

And ≥ 3 times per week


Analyses

Prevalence odd ratios (ORs) were calculatedfrom the individual level data using generalised linear mixed models with a binomial distribution and logit link,With the centres modelled as a random effect

The Univariate analyses adjusted for:

Analyses

Univariate analyses adjusted for:

• Gender

Analyses


• Gender • Region of the world

Analyses


• Gender • Region of the world• Language

Analyses


• Gender • Region of the world• Language• Per capita gross national income (world bank categories)

Analyses

The Univariate analyses adjusted for:


Further multiple regression analyses adjusted for

Analyses




Analyses

• Exercise




Analyses

• Exercise • Television watching




Analyses

• Exercise • Television watching • Maternal education




Analyses

• Exercise • Television watching • Maternal education • Maternal smoking (first year of life and current)




Analyses

• Exercise • Television watching • Maternal education • Maternal smoking (first year of life and current)• Body Mass Index (showed no effect)

Number of participants:

The diet analysis involved:



319 196 adolescents from 107 centres in 51 countries



319 196 adolescents from 107 centres in 51 countries

181 631 children from 64 centres in 31 countries


Results

The Adolescent age group (13-14 years)

Results


Protective foodsAll centres combined. Intake once or twice per week and ≥ 3 times per week for current & severe wheeze

Results



Fruit (and for current rhinoconjunctivitis)

Results




Milk (≥ 3 times per week severe asthma, current eczema)

Results




Milk (≥ 3 times per week severe asthma, current eczema)

Vegetables (≥ 3 times per week current asthma only)

Results


Results


Risk factor foodsAll centres combined intake ≥ 3 times per week for all three conditions

Results



Fast food (strongest association)

Results




Margarine, nuts, butter, pasta

Results




Margarine, nuts, butter, pasta

Eggs (≥ 3 times per week for severe asthma & severe rhinoconjunctivitis

Results

The childrens age group (6-7 years)

Results


Protective foodsAll centres combined. Intake ≥ 3 times per week for all three conditions (severe)

Results

The childrens’ age group (6-7 years)


Eggs, fruit, meat, Milk

Results




Seafood (current and severe asthma only)

Results




Seafood (current and severe asthma only)

Vegetables (except for severe eczema)

Results


Results


Risk factor foodsAll centres combined. Intake ≥ 3 times per week for current & severe wheeze, current and severe rhinoconjunctivitis and severe eczema

Results



Fast food

Results



Fast food

Margarine (current rhinoconjunctivitis only)

Results

Current wheeze and frequent consumption of fast food, 6-7 year age group

Ellwood P et al. Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? Global findings from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three. Thorax 2013; 68(4):351-360.

Severe asthma and frequent consumption of fast food, 6-7 year age group

Ellwood P et al. Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? Global findings from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase Three. Thorax 2013; 68(4):351-360.

Discussion

Potential Implications

Discussion


Findings are consistent with two previous analyses which found positive associations between fast food consumption and prevalence of wheeze

Wickens K, et al. Fast foods - are they a risk factor for asthma?. Allergy 2005; 60(12): 1537-41

.Robertson CF. The association between fast food outlets and the prevalence of symptoms of asthma from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)[Abstract]. Eur Resp J 1998; 12: Suppl 28.

Discussion


Findings are consistent with two previous analyses which found positive associations between fast food consumption and prevalence of wheeze

Biologically plausible mechanisms could be related to higher saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, sodium, carbohydrates and sugar levels of fast food and of preservatives

Conclusions

Conclusions

• Fast food was the only food type to show the same associations across the two age groups and all regions

Conclusions


• Fast food consumption may be contributing to the increasing prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in adolescents and children although the mechanism is unclear

Conclusions


• Fast food consumption may be contributing to the increasing prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in adolescents and children although the mechanism is unclear

• Diets that have a regular consumption of fruit and vegetables are likely to protect against asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in adolescents and children

Conclusions

• For other foods, the picture for adolescents and children is less clear

Conclusions


• Further work is required in this area

Conclusions


• Further work is required in this area

• The Global Asthma Network has been established to continue the work of ISAAC (formed by some former members of ISAAC and from The International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease [The Union])

http://www.globalasthmanetwork.org

Established 2012

© GAN

Global Asthma Network 204 centres in 92 countries

http://www.globalasthmanetwork.org/

© GAN

Documents

Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? Philippa Ellwood Senior Research Fellow Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health,