지역사회 인구 집단에서 천식 발병 연령 및 성인 천식과의 연관성

Abstract

Purpose: The classification of asthma phenotypes frequently depends on the age of onset. However, the rationale for specific age cutoffs remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the distribution of asthma onset age, to define subgroups based on onset age, and to examine their characteristics within a broad Korean population. Methods: An analysis of cross-sectional data involving 56,632 participants from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2016) was conducted. Data on asthma history, including diagnosis, self-reported age of asthma onset, and current disease status, were collected using structured questionnaires. Results: The distribution of asthma onset age showed a distinct peak in early childhood, with a decline between the ages 15 and 20. Based on this distribution, asthma was categorized into childhood-onset (≤18 years) and adult-onset (>18 years) for further analysis. Multivariate analyses indicated that adult-onset asthma was associated with older age, female sex, obesity, and a history of smoking, whereas childhood-onset asthma was linked to younger age, male sex, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Among the adult-onset group, current asthma had a later onset age, increased history of smoking history, and atopic dermatitis compared to past asthma. Conclusion: This analysis of nationwide general population data suggests that an age threshold around 18 years may be relevant for defining adult-onset asthma.