Success rate of preschool and school children with/without respiratory symptoms in pulmonary function tests

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the success rate of preschool and school children with/without respiratory symptoms in pulmonary function tests. Children and adolescents, aged 4 to 12 years, with/without respiratory symptoms based on the questionnaire of respiratory diseases were included. Participants were recruited from two schools and classified according to their age group in preschool children (4-6 years) and school children (7-12 years). We collected demographic and anthropometric data, and the variables of the manovacuometry test (MIP and MEP) and spirometry test (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75%). Pulmonary function tests were considered successful when the participants reached acceptability and reproducibility criteria established by national and international guidelines. In the statistical analysis, we used the chi-square test and Pearson correlation test. We included 148 participants, mean age of 8.1±1.7 years, being 51.4% female and 85.1% healthy. The success rate for the manovacuometry test and spirometry was 91.9% and 91.2%, respectively. There was a significantly lower success rate in the preschool group, compared to school children for both manovacuometry (p=0.044) and spirometry (p=0.015) tests. We found positive correlations between the MIP and FEV1 and MEP and FEF25-75%. The findings demonstrated a significantly lower success rate in preschool age group, compared to pre-school subjects in both pulmonary function tests evaluated.

本研究旨在评估患有/未患有呼吸道症状的学龄前儿童及学龄儿童的肺功能测试成功率。纳入研究对象为4至12岁的儿童及青少年，其呼吸道症状基于呼吸道疾病问卷确定。参与者来自两所学校，并根据年龄分为学龄前儿童组（4-6岁）和学龄儿童组（7-12岁）。我们收集了人口统计学和人体测量学数据，以及压力容量测定（最大吸气压力MIP和最大呼气压力MEP）和肺功能测试（第一秒用力呼气量FEV1、肺活量FVC、FEV1/FVC比值和25-75%用力呼气中段流量FEF25-75%）的相关变量。当参与者达到国家及国际指南设定的可接受性和可重复性标准时，肺功能测试被认为成功。在统计分析中，我们使用了卡方检验和皮尔逊相关检验。共纳入148名参与者，平均年龄为8.1±1.7岁，其中女性占51.4%，健康者占85.1%。压力容量测定和肺功能测试的成功率分别为91.9%和91.2%。与学龄儿童相比，学龄前儿童在压力容量测定（p=0.044）和肺功能测试（p=0.015）的成功率显著较低。我们发现MIP与FEV1、MEP与FEF25-75%之间存在正相关关系。研究结果证明，与学龄前儿童相比，学龄儿童在两项肺功能测试中的成功率显著更低。