The impacts of parity on lung function data (LFD) of healthy females aged 40 years and more issued from an upper middle income country (Algeria): A comparative study

BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating the impacts of parity on LFD of healthy females presented controversial conclusions. AIM: To compare the LFD of healthy females broken down according to their parities. METHODS: A medical questionnaire was administered and anthropometric data were determined. Two groups [G(1) (n = 34): ≤ 6; G(2) (n = 32): > 6] and three classes [C(1) (n = 15): 1–4; C(2) (n = 28): 5–8; C(3) (n = 23): 9–14] of parities were identified. LFD (plethysmography, specific airway resistance (sRaw)] were determined. Student’s t-test and ANOVA test with post-Hoc test were used to compare the two groups’ and the three classes’ data. RESULTS: G(1) and G(2) were age and height matched; however, compared to G(1), G(2) had a lower body mass index (BMI). C(1), C(2) and C(3) were height, weight and BMI matched; however, compared to C(2), C(3) was older. G(1) and G(2) had similar values of FEV(1), forced- and slow- vital capacities (FVC, SVC), maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), forced expiratory flow at x% of FVC (FEF(x%)), peak expiratory flow (PEF), expiratory and inspiratory reserve volumes (ERV, IRV, respectively), inspiratory capacity (IC), sRaw, FEV(1)/FVC, FEV(1)/SVC, and residual volume/total lung capacity (RV/TLC). The three classes had similar values of MMEF, FEF(x%), PEF, thoracic gas volume (TGV), ERV, IRV, FEV(1)/FVC, FEV(1)/SVC and RV/TLC. Compared to G(1), G(2) had higher TGV (2.68±0.43 vs. 3.00±0.47 L), RV (1.80±0.29 vs. 2.04±0.33 L) and TLC (4.77±0.62 vs. 5.11±0.67 L). Compared to C(1), C(2) had higher FEV(1) (2.14±0.56 vs. 2.47±0.33 L), FVC (2.72±0.65 vs. 3.19±0.41 L), SVC (2.74±0.61 vs. 3.24±0.41 L), TLC (4.47±0.59 vs. 5.10±0.58 L), IC (1.92±0.41 vs. 2.34±0.39 L) and sRaw (4.70±1.32 vs. 5.75±1.18 kPa*s). Compared to C(1), C(3) had higher TLC (4.47±0.59 vs. 5.05±0.68 L) and RV (1.75±0.29 vs. 2.04±0.30 L). CONCLUSION: Increasing parity induced a tendency towards lung-hyperinflation.