%0 Journal Article
%T Associations of physical and mental health problems with chronic cough in a representative population cohort
%A Robert J Adams
%A Sarah L Appleton
%A David H Wilson
%A Anne W Taylor
%A Richard E Ruffin
%J Cough
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1745-9974-5-10
%X North West Adelaide Health Study (n stage 1 = 4060, stage 2 = 3160) is a representative population adult cohort. Clinical assessment included spirometry, anthropometry and skin tests. Questionnaires assessed demographics, lifestyle risk factors, quality of life, mental health and respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnosed conditions and medication use.Of the 3355 people without identified lung disease at baseline, 18.2% reported chronic cough. In multiple logistic regression models, at follow-up, dry chronic cough without sputum production was significantly more common in males (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9), current smokers (OR 4.9, 95% CI 3.4, 7.2), obesity (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3, 2.9), use of ACE inhibitors (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1, 2.9), severe mental health disturbance (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4, 3.1) and older age (40-59 years OR 1.7 95% CI 1.2, 2.4; ¡Ý 60 years OR 2.1 95% CI 1.3, 3.5). Among non-smokers only, all cough was significantly more common in men, those with severe mental health disturbance and obesity.Chronic cough is a major cause of morbidity. Attention to cough is indicated in patients with obesity, psychological symptoms or smokers. Inquiring about cough in those with mental health problems may identify reversible morbidity.Cough is the commonest symptom seen in primary care [1-3], and chronic cough is one of the most frequent reasons for new referrals to specialist pulmonologists [4]. However, data on the prevalence of cough lasting more than eight weeks in the general population are scarce [5,6]. Most reports of the prevalence of chronic cough in adults originate from specialist cough clinics and therefore reflect the experience of chronic cough in secondary or tertiary care. The prevalence of chronic cough (lasting more than eight weeks) has been variously reported at 10% to 30% [5,7,8]. Where population data exist they are limited by methodological problems, including use of selected age groups [9-13], self selection of questionnaire respondents [6], failure to diff
%U http://www.coughjournal.com/content/5/1/10