Spirometry results (FEV1 and FVC) in young Bantu men from Tanzania vs environmental and family characteristics

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this paper was to examine the extent to which socioeconomic factors, anthropological data and somatic indices influenced the results of spirometric measurements (FEV₁ and FVC) in Tanzanian youth.

Materials and methods: The population studied were young black Bantu men aged 12.8–24.0 years. Analysis was performed for the whole data set (n = 255), as well as separately for two age groups: under 17.5 years (n = 168) and 17.5 + (n = 87). A backward stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed for FEV₁ and FVC as dependent variables on socioeconomic and anthropometric data.

Results: Multiple regression analysis for the whole group revealed that the socioeconomic and anthropometric data under analysis accounted for 38% of the variation in FEV₁. In addition the analysis demonstrated that 34% of the variation in FVC could be accounted for by the variables used in the regression. A significant impact in explaining the variability of FVC was exhibited by the thorax mobility, financial situation of the participants and Pignet-Verwaecka Index.

Conclusion: Analysis of the data indicates the significant role of selected socio-economic factors on the development of the biological specimens investigated. There were no perceptible pathologies, and the results can be treated as a credible interpretation of the influence exerted by the environment in which the teenagers under study grew up.

• Africa
• BMI
• chest
• social class
• spirometry

Acknowledgements

Dr Rębacz-Maron contributed to planning this study, overseeing data collection, analysing the data and writing the manuscript. Professor Parafiniuk conducted the study and assisted with writing the manuscript.