Associations of asthma with obesity phenotypes and dyslipidemia among Korean adolescents: a secondary data analysis of the Eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study investigated the association of asthma with obesity phenotypes and dyslipidemia among Korean adolescents. METHODS: This secondary analysis included 1,723 adolescents aged 10-18 years, using data from the Eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2019-2021. The complex sampling design accounted for stratification, clustering, and sampling weights. Data were analyzed using the t-test, Rao-Scott chi-square test, and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Factors associated with asthma included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), age, sex, and smoking-related variables. The adjusted odds of asthma were 1.21-fold higher per 1-unit increase in BMI and 4.50-fold higher per 1-unit increase in WC. Each 1-unit increase in HDL-C was associated with 0.78-fold lower odds of asthma. Compared with adolescents aged 10-12 years, those aged 13-15 and 16-18 years had 0.38-fold and 0.36-fold lower odds of asthma, respectively. Female adolescents had 0.46-fold lower odds than male adolescents. Adolescents who smoked had 4.40-fold higher odds of asthma than those who did not smoke. The odds of asthma were 10.26-fold higher among adolescents who began smoking before the age of 12 years and 10.20-fold higher among those who smoked more than 11 cigarettes per day. CONCLUSION: Clinical programs for preventing and managing asthma in adolescents should include physical activity promotion and dietary management, as well as abdominal muscle-strengthening exercises in cases of abdominal obesity. Regular monitoring of blood lipid levels, particularly HDL-C levels, should also be included.