Table 1 Personal characteristics of children with severe asthma (SA) and non-severe persistent asthma (NSPA)

Personal characteristics

Age at the study, yrs

12 (6–17)

12 (6–17)

0.8

Male gender

27 (66)

47 (60)

0.7

Lifetime atopic sensitization to

 house dust mites

31 (76)

59 (76)

1

 pets dander

21 (51)

47 (60)

0.4

 moulds

13 (32)

24 (31)

1

 pollen

28 (68)

61 (78)

0.3

 cow milk proteins/egg/peanuts

15 (37)

14 (18)

0.04

History of anaphylactic reactions

6 (15)

10 (13)

0.8

Current atopic eczema

10 (24)

11 (14)

0.2

Current food allergies

6 (15)

9 (11)

0.8

Age at onset of asthmatic symptoms, yrs

3 (0–11)

2 (0–12)

0.8

Age at physician’s diagnosis of asthma, yrs

5 (0–11)

6 (0–13)

0.06

Age at anti-asthma maintenance treatment start, yrs

6 (1–12)

7 (1–13)

0.04

Lifetime hospital admissions for asthma

33 (80)

30 (38)

<0.001

Hospital admissions for asthma during the past year

12 (29)

3 (4)

<0.001

Emergency-department visits for asthma during the past year

19 (46)

8 (10)

<0.001

Oral steroids for asthma exacerbation in the past year

32 (78)

34 (44)

<0.001

Nocturnal symptoms between exacerbations

22 (54)

26 (33)

0.049

Asthmatic symptoms triggered by

physical activity

36 (88)

41 (53)

<0.001

 allergens

24 (59)

44 (56)

0.8

 airway infections

28 (68)

41 (53)

0.1

 fog, humid or cold air, or perceivable odors

19 (46)

29 (37)

0.4

 tobacco smoke

9 (22)

10 (13)

0.2

Comorbidities

 Current rhinoconjunctivitis

23 (56)

48 (61)

0.7

 Obesity

4 (10)

7 (9)

1

 Symptoms of chronic sinusitis

4 (10)

2 (3)

0.2

 Symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux

6 (15)

7 (9)

0.4

Regularly playing a sport

26 (63)

51 (65)

0.8

Physically active >5 h/wk

10 (24)

21 (27)

0.8