The risk for respiratory tract infections and antibiotic in a general population and among asthmatics

The aim of this study was to investigate occupational, environmental, early life, and other risk factors associated with respiratory infections and antibiotics use, in a general population and among asthmatics.This study included 15 842 participants of the RHINE study aged 25–54 years from five Nordic countries, who answered a questionnaire covering respiratory outcomes, exposures, demographic characteristics and numbers of infections and courses of antibiotics the last 12 months. Multiple logistic regression with and without adjustment for age, gender, smoking status, BMI and center were used to study the risk of infection and antibiotics in relation to asthma, and also the association between infection and antibiotics and occupations.In the whole population, 11.6% reported having three or more respiratory infections, and 14.7% had used antibiotics because of respiratory tract infections within the last year. Asthmatics reported a tripled odd for such infections (adjusted OR (95% CI) 2.98 (2.53–3.52) and antibiotics use (adjusted OR 3.67 (3.18–4.24) as compared to non-asthmatics. Both in the general and the asthmatic population, female gender, obesity and exposure to building dampness were associated with respiratory infections. Female gender, and current smoking and living in Tartu were associated with antibiotic use. The use of antibiotics was doubled in people hospitalised for severe respiratory infection in childhood.In this study we identified several factors associated with increased respiratory infections and use of antibiotics in a general population and among asthmatics. The frequency of respiratory infections and subsequent antibiotic treatment were increased among asthmatics.