Grant: Project Grant

It is well known that asthma is more common in boys than girls in childhood, and more common in women than men during adulthood. We do not understand why this "sex shift" (also known as "gender shift") happens, but it may involve changes in body fat, inflammation or sex hormones during puberty. Unfortunately, most asthma studies have not accurately measured body fat or inflammation, and have not focused on the "critical window" of puberty. The CHILD Cohort Study provides an ideal opportunity to study these factors and the sex/gender shift in asthma. We have followed 1000 boys and girls at the Manitoba site of the CHILD Cohort Study (born in 2009-12) from birth until 8 years of age. Now, we will re-assess the same children at 11 years of age (early puberty) to measure their body fat, sex hormones and inflammation, and diagnose asthma. This research will help us understand and explain the sex differences in asthma, ultimately allowing for better prevention and treatment of asthma in all children.