Characterisation of the Australian adult population living with asthma: Exacerbation frequency, long-term OCS use and adverse effects.

Study type

• Study type:
  Non-interventional study
• Scope of the study:
  Disease epidemiology

Non-interventional study

• Non-interventional study design:
  Cohort

Study drug and medical condition

• Medical condition to be studied:
  Asthma

Population studied

• Age groups:
  Adults (18 to < 46 years)

  Adults (46 to < 65 years)

  Adults (65 to < 75 years)

  Adults (75 to < 85 years)

  Adults (85 years and over)
• Estimated number of subjects:
  7868

Study design details

• Main study objective:
  The main objective of this study is the analysis and categorisation of the Australian adult population diagnosed with asthma.
• Outcomes:
  The primary outcome of this study is to define and describe the demographics of the Australian adult population diagnosed with asthma based various factors including their age, GINA step/category, exacerbation frequency and oral corticosteroid usage patterns across Australia. The secondary objective was to identify the extent of long-term OCS use in the Australian asthmatic population and determine the prevalence of OCS-related comorbidity development.
• Data analysis plan:
  Demographic features and management practices will be descriptively assessed. Statistical modelling will be conducted for OCS use and associated morbidities. The odds ratio computation will be made using logistic regression and a dependent variable of 1 when a specific comorbidity diagnostic detected in clinical notes, otherwise for each patient observation 0 was recorded. The independent variables will include the dummy variable 1 when the patient is considered as having severe asthma, 0 if the patient has mild or moderate asthma and other control variables such as age and gender. The unadjusted odds ratio will not include the control variable.