ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to study the variations in the Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) with various factors like age, height, weight, body surface area (BSA) and the Body Mass Index (BMI) in healthy women of the Malwa region of Punjab, India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three hundred healthy women who were aged 20-50 years were selected from the Malwa region of Punjab and their PEFRs were determined. The influences of age, height, weight, BSA and BMI on the PEFR were studied. The PEFR test was performed by using a mini Wright Peak Expiratory flow meter. RESULTS: The mean PEFR of the women of the Malwa region of Punjab was found to be 395.87 ± 56.81 litres/minute. The PEFR increased with an increase in the age, height, weight and the BSA, but it decreased with an increase in the BMI. CONCLUSION: This study generated the preliminary values of PEFR for the women of the Malwa region of Punjab, India.
