Overweight Women and Management of Asthma

Valerio, Melissa A.; Gong, Z. Molly; Wang, Sijian; Bria, William F.; Johnson, Timothy R.; Clark, Noreen M.

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2009.03.008

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Volume 19, Issue 5 , Pages 300-305, September 2009

Overweight Women and Management of Asthma

Melissa A. Valerio, PhD
- Health Behavior & Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Correspondence to: Melissa Valerio, PhD, MPH, 109 Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029; Phone: (734) 763-0673; Fax: (734) 763-7379.
Z. Molly Gong, MD
- Center for Managing Chronic Disease, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Sijian Wang, MPH, PhD
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Madison, Wisconsin
William F. Bria, MD, FCCP
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Madison, Wisconsin
Timothy R. Johnson, MD
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Noreen M. Clark, PhD
- Center for Managing Chronic Disease, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Received 2 July 2008; received in revised form 28 March 2009; accepted 31 March 2009. published online 09 July 2009.

Purpose

We sought to describe clinical and psychosocial characteristics of overweight women with asthma.

Methods

Telephone interview and medical record review involving 808 women with asthma participating in a randomized study to identify those who were overweight. We assessed the relationship of their weight to asthma symptoms, health care use, quality of life, self-esteem, need for social support, and demographic characteristics. Regression analyses were used to investigate relationships between overweight and asthma.

Findings

Sixty-eight percent of the women in the study were overweight or obese. Demographic characteristics associated with overweight in women with asthma included being minority (p=.000), having a lower education level (p=.000), and a lower household income (p=.024). Overweight was associated with greater health care use, comorbidities (acid reflux, urinary incontinence), and persistent disease (p=.001). Overweight women exhibited lower self-esteem (p=.002) and lower perceived quality of life (p=.000).

Conclusion

Overweight females with asthma experience significant challenges because of their weight, more persistent and severe disease, specific comorbidities, and lower rates of obtaining psychosocial resources. Clinical consultations and interventions should account for the influence of overweight on asthma control and health status in female patients.