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Asthma is more prevalent in rural New South Wales than metropolitan Victoria, Australia
Author(s) -
Woods Rosalie K.,
Burton Deborah L.,
Wharton Cathryn,
McKenzie Geoffrey H.,
Walters E. Haydn,
Comino Elizabeth J.,
Abramson Michael J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
respirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1440-1843
pISSN - 1323-7799
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1843.2000.00257.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , metropolitan area , chronic bronchitis , demography , australian population , bronchitis , environmental health , population , pediatrics , pathology , sociology
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.