Among younger children, asthma develops twice as frequently in boys as in girls, but after puberty it may be more common in girls. Risk Factors Damp Homes. Studies from different parts of the world reported that children who lived in damp homes have a much higher risk for asthma than those who don't. In both adults and children the incidence of obesity has been increasing in parallel with the rise in asthma over recent years. One study reported a strong association between the two conditions, but it is not clear if one causes the other.
Some experts suggest that excess weight pressing on the lungs can cause a hyperreactive response.
Others believe that asthma itself results in low physical activity rates with subsequent weight gain. Low Birth Weight. Infants of low birth weight are at higher risk for lung problems and asthma. A recent study suggests that children born in the winter are at greater risk for asthmatic allergies to cockroaches than children born at other time of the year.