{"title":"Positive association between visceral adiposity index and asthma in US children and adolescents: an analysis of NHANES data.","authors":"Shihui Shao, Longliang Wu, Caiping Cui, Zhiyao Qin, Yinhua Liang, Jiangying Huang, Wei Li","doi":"10.1038/s41390-025-04453-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asthma represents an inflammatory condition. The exact function of VAI in asthma among children and adolescents is still not well understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional investigation was carried out by utilizing data sourced from 7814 children and adolescents participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 1999 to 2020. It adjusted for covariates and employed techniques such as multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic spline modeling, and subgroup analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 7814 participants, 1453 (18.6%) had a self-reported asthma diagnosis by a healthcare provider. After multivariate adjustment, higher visceral adiposity index (VAI) quartiles showed a dose-dependent increase in asthma risk compared to the lowest quartile (Q1): OR = 1.06 (Q2), 1.18 (Q3), and 1.26 (Q4; 95% CI: 1.05-1.51, p = 0.014). The restricted cubic spline regression demonstrated linearity. Stratified analyses showed no significant interaction between subgroups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Elevated VAI levels are independently linked to a higher prevalence of asthma among US children and adolescents.</p><p><strong>Impact: </strong>Key message: Elevated visceral adiposity index (VAI) is independently associated with increased asthma prevalence in US children and adolescents, revealing a dose-dependent relationship. Novelty to literature: This study establishes a nationally representative, large-scale epidemiological link between VAI (a validated biomarker of visceral fat dysfunction) and pediatric asthma using NHANES data (N = 7814). It advances prior obesity-asthma research by quantifying how visceral adiposity-rather than general obesity-drives risk. Clinical/public health impact: Our findings propose VAI as a potential screening tool for asthma risk stratification. This could inform targeted interventions (e.g., metabolic health optimization) to mitigate asthma burden in pediatric populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":19829,"journal":{"name":"Pediatric Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pediatric Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04453-8","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Asthma represents an inflammatory condition. The exact function of VAI in asthma among children and adolescents is still not well understood.
Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was carried out by utilizing data sourced from 7814 children and adolescents participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 1999 to 2020. It adjusted for covariates and employed techniques such as multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic spline modeling, and subgroup analyses.
Results: Of the 7814 participants, 1453 (18.6%) had a self-reported asthma diagnosis by a healthcare provider. After multivariate adjustment, higher visceral adiposity index (VAI) quartiles showed a dose-dependent increase in asthma risk compared to the lowest quartile (Q1): OR = 1.06 (Q2), 1.18 (Q3), and 1.26 (Q4; 95% CI: 1.05-1.51, p = 0.014). The restricted cubic spline regression demonstrated linearity. Stratified analyses showed no significant interaction between subgroups.
Conclusions: Elevated VAI levels are independently linked to a higher prevalence of asthma among US children and adolescents.
Impact: Key message: Elevated visceral adiposity index (VAI) is independently associated with increased asthma prevalence in US children and adolescents, revealing a dose-dependent relationship. Novelty to literature: This study establishes a nationally representative, large-scale epidemiological link between VAI (a validated biomarker of visceral fat dysfunction) and pediatric asthma using NHANES data (N = 7814). It advances prior obesity-asthma research by quantifying how visceral adiposity-rather than general obesity-drives risk. Clinical/public health impact: Our findings propose VAI as a potential screening tool for asthma risk stratification. This could inform targeted interventions (e.g., metabolic health optimization) to mitigate asthma burden in pediatric populations.
期刊介绍：
Pediatric Research publishes original papers, invited reviews, and commentaries on the etiologies of children''s diseases and
disorders of development, extending from molecular biology to epidemiology. Use of model organisms and in vitro techniques
relevant to developmental biology and medicine are acceptable, as are translational human studies
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