Spirometric values in Gypsy (Roma) children

• Published in: Respiratory medicine Vol. 102; no. 9; pp. 1321 - 1328
• Main Authors: Kaditis, Athanasios G., Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos, Tsoutsou, Pelagia, Papaioannou, Andriana I., Fotiadou, Anastasia, Messini, Christina, Samaras, Konstantinos, Piperi, Maria, Gissaki, Despina, Zintzaras, Elias, Molyvdas, Adam-Paschalis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2008; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Body Height; Central Greece; Child; European Continental Ancestry Group; Expiratory flow function; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Greece; Humans; Linear Models; Lung - physiology; Male; Medical sciences; Pneumology; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Reference Values; Roma; Spirometry; Standing height; Vital Capacity; Greece; Europe; Expiratory flow function; Standing height; Spirometry; Central Greece; Reference values; Human; Reference value; Exploration; Corporal biometry; Lung function; Body size; Height; Child; Pneumology
• ISSN: 0954-6111; 1532-3064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2008.03.025

Values of spirometry indices vary among subjects of similar age, gender and somatometrics but of different ethnic origins. Low socioeconomic status in childhood is inversely related to lung growth. The aim of this investigation was to assess spirometry values in Gypsy children and compare them to reported values for Caucasians. Gypsy students attending primary schools in Central Greece were recruited. Spirometry indices were measured using a portable spirometer. Regression analysis was applied to construct prediction equations for forced vital capacity (FVC) and other spirometric indices (FEV 1, FEF 50, FEF 25, FEF 25–75) based on standing height. Predicted spirometric values were compared to values for Caucasians from published studies. In 152 children (ages 5–14 years; 57 girls) lung function increased linearly with height: spirometry index = intercept + [slope × height], ( r 2 = 0.68 for FVC and FEV 1 in girls; r 2 = 0.78 for FVC and r 2 = 0.74 for FEV 1 in boys). Excluding boys-but not girls-in puberty increased fit for FVC ( r 2 = 0.83) and FEV 1 ( r 2 = 0.79). Mean predicted values were 5–10% lower than values for Caucasians. In Gypsy children, FVC and expiratory flow function increase linearly with standing height and predicted values are lower than those for Caucasians of similar height.