Demographic characteristics of study participants, prevalence of asthma attacks, self-reported respiratory symptoms and allergic sensitization, and baseline lung function
| Prevalence % | Frequency n/N | |
| Demographic characteristics | ||
| Place of residence | ||
| Erfurt | 50.4 | 204/405 |
| Hamburg | 49.6 | 201/405 |
| Sex F | 47.2 | 191/405 |
| age yrs* | 38.5±6.7 | |
| Education | ||
| ⪕8 grades | 17.8 | 72/405 |
| 10 grades | 41.5 | 168/405 |
| ≥12 grades | 40.7 | 165/405 |
| Active smokers | 38.5 | 156/405 |
| Parameters of respiratory health | ||
| Asthma attacks# | 2.7 | 11/405 |
| Wheeze# | 13.1 | 53/405 |
| Wheeze and breathlessness# | 5.2 | 21/404 |
| Wheeze w/o cold# | 7.9 | 32/403 |
| Shortness of breath at rest# | 5.4 | 22/405 |
| Breathlessness at night# | 4.9 | 20/405 |
| Cough at night# | 8.6 | 35/405 |
| Cough w/o cold in winter >3 months (habitually) | 4.4 | 18/405 |
| Allergic sensitization¶ | 31.8 | 126/396 |
| Sensitization to mite | 9.8 | 39/396 |
| Der p+ | 9.6 | 38/396 |
| Der f+ | 7.8 | 31/396 |
| Sensitization to cat dander+ | 8.1 | 32/396 |
| Current asthma medication | 2.0 | 8/505 |
| Baseline lung function n=394 | ||
| FEV1 L* | 3.85±0.85 | |
| FVC L* | 4.60±1.02 |
n/N: number of subjects/total number of subjects
F: female
Der p: Dermatophagoides pleronyssinus
Der f: D. farinae
FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second
FVC: forced vital capacity
w/o: without
*: data are presented as mean±sd
#: past 12 months
¶: at least one serum-specific immonoglobulin-E (IgE)≥0.70 kU·L−1 against Alternaria alternata (m6), Aspergillus fumigatus (m3), tree pollen (tx5), birch (t3), Cladosporium herbarum (m2), D. pteronyssimus (d1), D. farinae (d2), grass pollen (gx1, gx4), Phleum pratense (g6), dog dander (e5), cat dander (e1), weed pollen (wx3), and Blatella germanica (i6)
+: serum-specific IgE≥0.70 kU·L−1