Table 4

Trends in selected outcome variables and in body mass index (BMI) and triceps skinfold thickness from 1983 to 1993 in an English inner city sample of children aged 8 or 9 years^4-150with information on symptoms and BMI, adjusted for ethnic group

Variable	Boys (n=4474)^4-151	Girls (n=4509)^4-151
	Odds ratio per year (95% confidence interval)
Attacks of asthma	1.06 (1.02 to 1.10)	1.08 (1.04 to 1.13)
Ever wheeze	1.02 (0.99 to 1.04)	1.02 (0.99 to 1.04)
Persistent wheeze	1.00 (0.97 to 1.04)	1.02 (0.98 to 1.06)
Attacks of bronchitis	0.94 (0.90 to 0.99)	0.94 (0.89 to 0.99)
Asthma or bronchitis	1.01 (0.97 to 1.04)	1.01 (0.97 to 1.05)
	Linear increase per year (95% confidence interval)
Body mass index SDS	0.013 (0.003 to 0.023)	0.013 (0.003 to 0.022)
Triceps skinfold SDS	0.000 (–0.008 to 0.009)	0.005 (–0.003 to 0.014)

↵4-150 Selected by year of birth as detailed in text.
↵4-151 Minimum number, with data for attacks of asthma and bronchitis and BMI.