Premium
Prevalence of asthma and bronchial hyperreactivity in Danish schoolchildren: no change over 10 years
Author(s) -
Zilmer M,
Steen NP,
Zachariassen G,
Duus T,
Kristiansen B,
Halken S
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.02036.x
Subject(s) - medicine , danish , bronchial hyperreactivity , asthma , pediatrics , environmental health , respiratory disease , immunology , philosophy , linguistics , lung
Aim: To describe the point prevalence of current physician‐diagnosed asthma and bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) in 2001 among unselected Danish schoolchildren aged 6–17 years, compared with the prevalence from a similar study from 1990 to 1991. Methods: Cross‐sectional study using parental questionnaire on asthma and respiratory symptoms combined with a 6‐min free running test with peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measurement (n = 1051, response rate 89.3%). Results were compared with those of a similar study in the same area from 1990 to 1991. Main outcome measures were current physician‐diagnosed asthma or BHR in children without physician‐diagnosed asthma measured by either a decrease in lung function after standardized running test and/or variability in PEFR on home monitoring. Results: The prevalence of current physician‐diagnosed asthma was 4.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.7–5.3%] in 1990–1991 and 3.6% (95% CI 2.4–4.8%) in 2001. The prevalence of BHR was 3.2% (95% CI 2.0–4.4%) in 1990–1991 and 2.0% (95% CI 1.1–2.9%) in 2001. The combined prevalence was 7.2% (95% CI 5.4–8.9%) in 1990–1991 and 5.6% (95% CI 4.2–7.1%) in 2001. Conclusion: The point prevalence of current physician‐diagnosed asthma and BHR among unselected Danish schoolchildren aged 6–17 years was unchanged over 10 years between 1990–1991 and 2001.