PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Biswajit Chakrabarti AU - Sabita Purkait AU - Punybrata Goon AU - Vicky Moore AU - Christopher Warburton AU - Peter Calverley AU - Justin Zaman AU - Rahul Mukherjee TI - Reduced body mass index is associated with the presence of airflow obstruction in a rural Indian setting DP - 2011 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - p1009 VI - 38 IP - Suppl 55 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1009.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1009.full SO - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38 AB - Background: Respiratory conditions remain a significant source of morbidity globally. We wished to understand factors associated with the development of airflow obstruction (AFO) within a rural Indian setting. We hypothesised that being significantly underweight (BMI less than 18.5) could be linked to the development of AFO (FEV1/FVC less than 0.7).Methodology: Patients greater than 35 years old attending a primary care outpatient clinic at Chengail, West Bengal, India underwent: 1. A structured questionnaire 2. Measurement of BMI 3.Spirometry (analysed by a Respiratory Clinical Physiologist).Results: 416 patients (mean age 51 years; 47% male; 62% never smokers) completed the study; spirometry deemed valid for analysis in 286 (69%). 47 (16%) of all subjects were noted to exhibit AFO; GOLD stage 1 (15%); GOLD stage 2 (49%); GOLD stage 3 (26%);GOLD stage 4 (10%). Never smokers comprised 43% (20/47) of all AFO cases. On logistic regression, factors associated with AFO were: Increasing age (95% CI 0.004-0.011; p=0.005), smoking status (95% CI 0.07-0.174; p=0.006), male gender (95% CI 0.19-0.47; p=0.012), reduced BMI (95% CI 0.19-0.65; p=0.02) and occupation (95% CI 0.12-0.84; p=0.08). Mean BMI was significantly lower in the 47 patients with AFO (20.11 v 21.62; p=0.02). AFO was observed in 27% (18/66) of subjects with a BMI less than 18.5 falling to 13% (29/220) of subjects with BMI greater than 18.5 (p=0.013). In those underweight ever smokers, airflow obstruction was identified in 25% (13/52) rising to 32% (14/44) in ever smokers with a BMI greater than 18.5.Conclusion: Our study suggests that being underweight is associated with the presence of AFO in a rural Indian setting.