Predictors of pulmonary function test values for Pakistani children, aged 5-14 years.

OBJECTIVE: To predict pulmonary function test values in children.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Nishtar Medical College, Multan, Pakistan, from August 2014 to March 2015, and comprised school-going children aged 5-14 years. After noting their gender, age, height and weight, the pulmonary function test measures, force vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second and peak expiratory flow rate were taken. Simple and multiple regression models were used for the prediction of pulmonary function test values. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: Of the 3,275 participants, 1,809(55.2%) were boys and 1,466 (44.8%) were girls. The overall mean age was 10.27±2.41 years. The means height, weight, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, force vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate were 137.37±13.41cm, 30.44±8.56kg, 1.56±0.58, 1.72±0.50 and 3.66±1.10, respectively. Generally, no significant difference between the mean pulmonary function test values was noted for boys and girls (p>0.05), except that the boys of age 13 and 14 had higher mean values (p<0.05). All the three variables - age, height and weight - had significant linear relationship with the pulmonary function test values (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The pulmonary function test values tended to increase with increase in age, height and weight.