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Table 3 Distribution of health indicators, living conditions and parental educational level of 6-year-old children in West Germany stratified by urban/rural residency and year of investigation.

From: Preschool children's health and its association with parental education and individual living conditions in East and West Germany

 

Mean ± standard deviation/Prevalence [%]

 

Total

Residency a,b

 

Year of investigationc,d

 
  

Urban e

Rural f

 

1991

1994

1997

2000

 

Health indicators

         

Airway resistance [10-1•kPa•s/l]

6.30 ± 15.0

6.39 ± 1.49

6.15 ± 1.50

*

5.83 ± 1.53

6.23 ± 1.58

6.96 ± 1.51

6.35 ± 1.27

*

Total lung capacity [% predicted]

105 ± 11

105 ± 10

104 ± 11

-

103 ± 11

105 ± 9

105 ± 9

107 ± 11

*

Birth weight [10•g]

337 ± 59

333 ± 58

348 ± 61

*

334 ± 60

338 ± 56

343 ± 54

337 ± 58

*

Body height [cm]

120.4 ± 5.6

120.0 ± 5.6

121.5 ± 5.4

*

120.6 ± 5.6

120.9 ± 5.4

120.7 ± 5.2

119.6 ± 5.7

*

Overweight, BMI > 19 kg/m2

7.5

8.3

4.7

*

5.7

5.1

6.5

11.8

*

Bronchitis, ever diagnosed

45.5

45.0

47.2

-

44.9

52.3

51.2

41.5

-

More than 4 colds in last 12 months

14.7

15.5

11.9

*

15.7

13.2

15.1

13.4

*

Frequent cough

7.8

8.4

5.7

*

8.9

6.8

8.5

6.1

*

Sneeze attacks in the last 12 months

5.8

6.4

3.6

*

4.9

--g

6.2

7.1

*

Allergy, ever diagnosed

14.0

14.1

14.0

-

15.8

13.5

12.4

12.1

*

Eczema, ever diagnosed

13.4

13.6

12.6

-

10.7

16.3

15.7

15.5

*

Atopic eczema, day of investigation

7.9

7.0

9.2

-

10.9

9.0

5.5

4.6

*

Specific IgE grass pollen positive

10.8

11.2

10.2

-

9.8

12.2

10.6

10.6

-

Specific IgE house dust mite positive

13.0

13.0

13.1

-

11.7

14.3

10.8

16.2

-

Living conditions

         

Single child

27.2

31.1

13.3

*

28.8

22.1

19.6

29.6

-

Small living space

29.0

33.8

12.1

*

33.8

22.5

20.6

27.4

*

Unfavourable indoor air

16.2

16.3

16.0

-

19.2

23.0

15.8

9.4

*

Damp housing condition

5.3

6.2

2.3

*

5.9

3.9

4.6

5.2

-

Maternal smoking during pregnancy

28.7

33.6

11.4

*

34.8

25.2

19.4

24.3

*

Living near a busy road

50.9

54.6

38.1

*

48.5

57.5

50.6

52.4

*

Parental education

         

Low parental educational level

65.2

66.5

60.6

*

63.4

47.5

67.3

73.5

*

  1. a t-test (continuous variables); b chi-square test (dichotomous variables); c t-test for correlation (continuous variables); d trend test (dichotomous variables); e Duisburg, Essen, and Cologne; f Borken; g not investigated; * p < 0.05
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