Table 2

Results of the linear regression between asthma prevalence (%) and health and socio-economic indicators; outcome: percentage (%) of children with wheezing in the last 12 months in the study population

6–7 years (11 surveys)

13–14 years (16 surveys)

Health and socio-economic indicators

bivariable analysis*

multivariable analysis*

bivariable analysis*

multivariable analysis*

β

P

β

P

β

P

β

P

In the survey year

Infant Mortality 1: in the survey year (per 1,000)

0.17

0.353

0.19

0.164

0.47

<0.001

Illiteracy rate (percent)

0.01

0.981

-0.49

0.096

-1.06

<0.001

Percent of poor

0.12

0.400

-0.05

0.684

Sanitation: percent of houses with poor sanitation

0.08

0.065

0.06

0.061

0.08

0.128

Average Income

-0.01

0.722

0.07

0.355

Water supply

-0.16

0.350

-0.11

0.591

HDI – Human Development Index

-32.70

0.333

21.86

0.477

GINI coefficient for wealth inequality

10.22

0.716

0.46

0.043

Mortality rate for external causes per 10,000

0.14

0.037

0.15

0.007

0.65

0.203

Hospital beds per 10,000

0.58†

0.384

0.96

0.260

At birth

Infant mortality 2: at birth (per 1,000)

0.12

0.336

0.14

0.101

-0.04‡

0.512

Notes: *bivariable linear regression with each variable one at a time and multivariable with selected variables together; † one city excluded for missing data, based on 10 surveys; ‡ one city excluded for missing data, based on 15 survey.

da Cunha et al. BMC Public Health 2007 7:205   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-7-205