Correlation of respiratory symptoms and spirometric lung patterns in a rural community setting, Sindh, Pakistan: a cross sectional survey

Table 4 Crude and adjusted linear regression analysis of respiratory symptoms with percentage predicted lung volumes, taluka Gambat district Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan

	Crude beta coefficient (Confidence interval)	Adjusted beta coefficient* (Confidence interval)	P - value
% Predicted FVC volumes
Cough ²¹	−7.537 (−15.53 – 0.45)	−9.353(−17.30 – -1.39)	0.021
Phlegm ²²	−7.100 (−14.73 – 0.53)	−9.792 (−17.55 – -2.02)	0.014
Wheeze	−16.190 (−24.65 – -7.72)	−17.876 (−26.13 – -9.61)	< 0.001
Shortness of breath ²³	−12.191 (−22.09 – -2.28)	−8.965 (−19.09 – -1.16)	0.082
% Predicted FEV ₁ volumes
Cough	−12.969 (−20.91 – -5.02)	−14.510 (−22.52 – -6.49)	<0.001
Phlegm	−11.631 (−19.24 – -4.01)	−13.814 (−21.70 – -5.92)	0.001
Wheeze	−20.068 (−28.46 – -11.66)	−22.120 (−30.41 – -13.82)	< 0.001
Shortness of breath	−13.967 (−24.59 – -3.33)	−15.176 (−25.08 – -5.267)	0.003
% Predicted FEV ₁ /FVC ratio
Cough	−7.876 (−12.34 – -3.41)	−6.841 (−11.16 – -2.51)	0.002
Phlegm	−6.936 (−11.22 – -2.65)	−6.778 (−11.09 – -2.46)	0.002
Wheeze	−7.765 (−12.65 – -2.87)	−8.245 (−13.21 – -3.27)	0.001
Shortness of breath	−7.327 (−12.97 – -1.68)	−7.403 (−13.21 – -1.59)	0.013

*Adjusted for age, height, weight, sex, smoking status, education, socioeconomic status, spoken dialect and arsenic levels.
^21. Chronic cough defined as cough on most days of month, for 3 consecutive months or more in a year.
^22. Chronic phlegm defined as presence of phlegm for 3 consecutive months in 2 consecutive years.
^23. Participants were asked: do you have to walk slower than people of your age on the level because of breathlessness (SOB grade II).

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