
Fat and fish intake and asthma in Japanese women: baseline data from the Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study
DESIGN: The subjects were 1002 pregnant Japanese females. A diet history questionnaire was used to assess dietary habits. Current asthma and asthma after age 18 were defined as present if subjects had been treated with medications at some time in the previous 12 months and after reaching the age of 18, respectively.
RESULTS: Fish consumption was independently associated with a decreased prevalence of asthma after age 18 and current asthma. A significant inverse relationship was observed between the ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and the prevalence of current asthma, but not asthma after age 18. Intake of total fat, saturated, monounsaturated, n-3 polyunsaturated and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, meat, eggs or dairy products was not evidently related to either outcome for asthma.
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that fish consumption and the high ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake may be associated with a reduced prevalence of asthma in young female Japanese adults.
Keywords: Japanese women; asthma; cross-sectional study; fatty acids; fish
Document Type: Regular Paper
Affiliations: 1: Department of Public Health, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan 2: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan 3: Nutritional Epidemiology Programme, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan 4: Division of Allergy, Department of Medical Specialties, National Centre for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan 5: Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Osaka, Japan 6: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
Publication date: January 1, 2007
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