Risk of adult onset wheeze and atopy according to childhood infections and sum of infections before the age of three: adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals). The reference category included subjects who had not acquired the infections before age 10–15 years
| Infection history to age 10–15 years |
Wheeze5-150
(n ⩽95) |
Wheeze + asthma5-150 (n ⩽22) |
Wheeze + cough/phlegm5-150
(n ⩽28) |
Atopy positive5-151
(n ⩽151) |
| Measles | ||||
| ⩽ age 3 | 0.5 (0.2 to 1.2) | 0.2 (0.03 to 0.8) | 0.4 (0.1 to 2.1) | 1.3 (0.6 to 3.0) |
| > age 3 | 0.6 (0.2 to 1.3) | 0.4 (0.1 to 1.6) | 0.6 (0.1 to 2.7) | 1.5 (0.7 to 3.2) |
| Rubella | ||||
| ⩽ age 3 | 1.2 (0.4 to 3.9) | 5-152 | 1.7 (0.3 to 10.5) | 2.0 (0.7 to 6.1) |
| > age 3 | 1.7 (0.9 to 3.0) | 1.0 (0.4 to 2.8) | 1.2 (0.4 to 3.6) | 0.7 (0.4 to 1.2) |
| Pertussis | ||||
| ⩽ age 3 | 0.6 (0.2 to 1.7) | 0.5 (0.1 to 5.0) | 0.3 (0.03 to 2.4) | 0.4 (0.2 to 1.0) |
| > age 3 | 0.9 (0.4 to 2.2) | 2.4 (0.7 to 8.7) | 1.0 (0.2 to 5.8) | 0.9 (0.4 to 2.0) |
| Mumps | ||||
| ⩽ age 3 | 2.7 (0.9 to 8.4) | 1.3 (0.1 to 13.0) | 1.5 (0.1 to 19.1) | 0.8 (0.3 to 2.2) |
| > age 3 | 0.9 (0.5 to 1.7) | 1.0 (0.4 to 2.9) | 1.8 (0.6 to 5.0) | 1.2 (0.7 to 2.1) |
| Varicella | ||||
| ⩽ age 3 | 1.0 (0.4 to 2.2) | 1.9 (0.3 to 11.8) | 1.2 (0.3 to 5.8) | 1.1 (0.5 to 2.4) |
| > age 3 | 0.9 (0.5 to 1.6) | 3.5 (0.9 to 13.5) | 0.7 (0.2 to 1.9) | 1.1 (0.6 to 1.8) |
| Sum of all infections to age 3 | ||||
| Any one | 0.9 (0.5 to 1.7) | 0.3 (0.1 to 1.1) | 1.1 (0.3 to 3.5) | 1.2 (0.7 to 2.1) |
| Any two | 0.9 (0.4 to 2.5) | 0.4 (0.1 to 2.4)5-153 | 0.4 (0.04 to 4.2) | 0.7 (0.3 to 1.6) |
| Three or more | 1.3 (0.3 to 5.0) | 3.0 (0.4 to 22.1) | 0.9 (0.3 to 3.4) | |
| Sum of measles and pertussis to age 3 | ||||
| Either | 0.8 (0.4 to 1.4) | 0.2 (0.1 to 0.9)5-153 | 0.7 (0.2 to 1.8)5-153 | 0.8 (0.5 to 1.4) |
| Both | 0.4 (0.1 to 2.3) | 0.6 (0.2 to 2.4) | ||
| Sum of rubella, mumps, varicella to age 3 | ||||
| Any of the three | 1.1 (0.5 to 2.3) | 0.8 (0.2 to 2.8)5-153 | 0.8 (0.1 to 4.8) | 1.4 (0.7 to 2.8) |
| Two or more | 1.8 (0.5 to 6.0) | 3.5 (0.5 to 24.0) | 0.7 (0.2 to 2.3) | |
↵5-150 Odds ratios are adjusted for sex, social class based on subject's own occupation, smoking habit, atopy, and family history of atopic disease.
↵5-151 Odds ratios are adjusted for sex, social class based on subject's own occupation, smoking habit, and family history of atopic disease.
↵5-152 None of the cases with doctor diagnosed asthma had had rubella on or before age 3.
↵5-153 Due to small numbers, the final two categories of the variable were combined.