Asthma is more prevalent in rural New South Wales than metropolitan Victoria, Australia

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of adult respiratory symptoms and conditions in a rural setting with a metropolitan setting. Methodology: We used cross‐sectional population surveys of respiratory health using the European Respiratory Health Survey screening questionnaire. A random sample of 4455 eligible young adults aged 20–44 years, from electoral rolls in south‐eastern metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, and 4521 from rural south‐western New South Wales were surveyed. Results: Response rates of 72% ( n = 3194) and 69% ( n = 3121) were achieved in Melbourne and the Riverina, respectively. Respondents from the Riverina reported significantly higher prevalences of nocturnal dyspnoea ( P < 0.01), chronic bronchitis ( P = 0.03), an asthma attack in the previous 12 months ( P < 0.001), ever having had asthma ( P < 0.001) and doctor‐diagnosed asthma ( P < 0.001) compared to those from Melbourne. However, among those with ‘asthma attacks in the last 12 months’, Melbourne respondents experienced a higher frequency of attacks ( P < 0.05). Riverina respondents reported a higher prevalence of smoking ( P < 0.05) and smoked more cigarettes on average ( P < 0.001) than Melbourne respondents. However, annoyance from air pollution was higher in Melbourne than in the Riverina. Conclusions: These results suggest that asthma is more prevalent in rural southern New South Wales than in Melbourne but follows a different pattern of exacerbations.