Main characteristics of the study population
| Subjects n | Sex female % | Age years | Passive smoke exposure % | Asthma at start of the study % | Sensitisation to pollen allergens % | FVC % pred# at start of study | FEV1 % pred# at start of study | |
| Total population | 2153 | 48.9 | 7.6 (6.5–8.8) | 34.9 | 5.3 | 14.9 | 107.8 (89.6–125.6) | 107.9 (88.4–126.6) |
| Amstetten (A) | 134 | 43.3 | 7.5 (6.6–8.5) | 40.5 | 12.8 | 13.3 | 105.9 (87.4–122.8) | 107.7 (89.0–125.5) |
| St. Valentin (A) | 116 | 51.7 | 7.7 (6.7–8.9) | 31.3 | 8.8 | 12.6 | 104.3 (84.8–119.0) | 105.6 (89.1–122.4) |
| Krems (A) | 161 | 47.2 | 7.6 (6.6–8.5) | 46.5 | 6.3 | 9.0 | 106.1 (89.5–127.7) | 107.2 (87.0–126.0) |
| Tuttlingen (G) | 231 | 48.1 | 7.8 (6.8–9.0) | 45.8 | 3.5 | 20.2 | 107.8 (84.1–125.8) | 107.1 (83.7–124.8) |
| Aalen (G) | 89 | 53.9 | 8.3 (7.6–9.3) | 42.7 | 4.8 | 17.9 | 110.3 (94.5–133.6) | 107.6 (85.3–127.2) |
| Villingen (G) | 35 | 37.1 | 8.3 (7.5–10.0) | 38.2 | 2.9 | 11.8 | 107.7 (96.8–124.1) | 109.4 (91.9–132.7) |
| Gänserndorf (A) | 98 | 49.0 | 7.6 (6.7–8.6) | 38.3 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 104.1 (83.7–131.1) | 107.2 (91.2–123.6) |
| Ehingen (G) | 73 | 54.8 | 7.7 (6.9–9.0) | 32.9 | 2.7 | 28.8 | 111.0 (93.4–131.5) | 108.5 (92.1–126.0) |
| Mistelbach (A) | 152 | 44.7 | 7.6 (6.6–8.7) | 30.3 | 4.0 | 8.9 | 103.5 (86.1–128.1) | 105.4 (85.9–132.5) |
| Heidenreichstein (A) | 83 | 50.6 | 7.6 (6.7–8.8) | 32.9 | 1.2 | 11.6 | 105.5 (90.0–123.1) | 107.7 (89.3–125.5) |
| Bruck (A) | 73 | 52.1 | 7.5 (6.6–8.8) | 43.1 | 4.1 | 14.1 | 103.9 (93.8–119.6) | 104.5 (90.9–119.8) |
| Welzheim (G) | 216 | 51.4 | 7.8 (6.8–9.0) | 31.9 | 6.5 | 20.9 | 110.0 (95.8–125.3) | 107.9 (88.9–128.6) |
| Freudenstadt (G) | 395 | 49.4 | 7.7 (6.8–8.8) | 28.7 | 3.3 | 18.1 | 111.2 (91.9–125.6) | 109.4 (89.6–128.2) |
| Wiesmath (A) | 126 | 47.6 | 7.6 (6.5–8.4) | 22.4 | 4.0 | 6.8 | 103.8 (90.1–119.3) | 109.1 (91.9–126.3) |
| Pöllau+ (A) | 171 | 49.7 | 6.6 (5.6–7.7) | 30.6 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 106.5 (88.8–127.6)§ | 110.3 (87.1–129.9)§ |
Data are presented as median (5%–95% quantile) unless otherwise indicated
FVC: forced vital capacity
FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second
A: Austria, G: Germany
+: Investigation at Pöllau started later (autumn 1994)
§: data from 2nd investigation autumn 1994
#: predicted value calculated according to Dockery