Background: Pulmonary function testing has evolved as clinical tools, for diagnosis, management and follow-up in respiratory disorders. Several miniaturized smart devices are now available on the market that will calculate both parameters.
Aim and Objectives: The present study was undertaken to correlate the lung function parameters such as peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1) measured by peak flow meter with various anthropometric parameters such as height, weight, and body surface area (BSA) including adiposity markers (waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and body mass index [BMI]) in healthy young adults of Eastern parts of India.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 524 medical, dental, and nursing students (351 females and 173 males) aged between 17 and 25 years. Pulmonary function parameters (PEFR and FEV1) were recorded by Mini Wright digital peak flow meter. All the data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA with least significant difference Post-hoc test.
Results: Both FEV1 and PEFR showed significantly higher values in males in comparison to females. Positive correlation was found between PEFR and height, more so in males. PEFR and BSA had a moderately positive correlation when considered among total study population. FEV1 showed strong correlation with height in all subjects taken together. PEFR decreased with increasing BMI but the difference was not statistically significant. FEV1 showed a significant difference between BMI-I and BMI-III categories with a decrease in FEV1 as BMI increased.
Conclusion: Height has been found to be the best predictor of lung functions.
Key words: Lung Function; Peak Expiratory Flow Rates; Forced Expiratory Volume in first S; Peak Flow Meter
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