|
 |
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2001
Is the increase in childhood asthma coming to an end? Findings from three surveys of schoolchildren in Rome, Italy
Paediatric Clinic of the 2nd Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
CORRESPONDENCE: R. Ronchetti, Paediatric Clinic of the 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161, Rome, Italy. Fax: 39 064462767
Keywords: asthma increase, asthma prevalence, childhood asthma, family history of atopy
Received: April 27, 2000
Accepted December 6, 2000
Time trends in the prevalence of asthma, family history of asthma and atopy in Roman schoolchildren were assessed. The study population consisted of all children (aged 6–14 yrs) attending two primary schools in Rome, situated in urban areas that differed markedly in socioeconomic conditions and environmental pollution. Three questionnaire-based surveys were conducted in 1974, 1992 and 1998 in 2,259, 1,229 and 1,139 children. The prevalence of asthma in males and females increased significantly during 1974–1992 and remained stable from 1992–1998. In age groups born in the subsequent 4-yr periods it increased almost linearly, for children born from 1962–1965 to 1982–1985 (4.4%–12.5%), and remained remarkably stable in children born after 1985. Because the prevalence of asthma had a steeper trend in males than in females (approximately 0.55%·yr–1 versus 0.25%·yr–1), the male:female asthma ratio increased (1:38 in 1974; 1:84 in 1992 and 1:62 in 1998). No single environmental factor, including area of residence, seemed to influence the prevalence of asthma. Family history of asthma and atopy also increased steadily (0.72%·yr–1 and 0.30%·yr–1 respectively) more than doubling during the 24-yr study period. The strong relationship between asthma and a family history of atopy not only persisted but also strengthened over time (23.3% of asthmatic children belonged to families with atopic illnesses in 1974 but 44.2% in 1998). The environmental factors that might explain the almost three-fold rise in childhood asthma between 1974 and 1992 remain unknown but the genetic background of the disease has presumably remained unchanged since the early 1970s. The fact that the prevalence of asthma increased no further during the past 6 yrs suggests that the progressive induction of asthma symptoms in genetically predisposed subjects is a self-limiting process that has probably come to an end in the authors' study area.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  N. Pearce, N. Ait-Khaled, R. Beasley, J. Mallol, U. Keil, E. Mitchell, C. Robertson, and and the ISAAC Phase Three Study Group Worldwide trends in the prevalence of asthma symptoms: phase III of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Thorax, September 1, 2007; 62(9): 758 - 766. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. B Anthracopoulos, E. Liolios, D. B Panagiotakos, K. Triantou, and K. N Priftis Prevalence of asthma among schoolchildren in Patras, Greece: four questionnaire surveys during 1978-2003 Arch. Dis. Child., March 1, 2007; 92(3): 209 - 212. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. Eder, M. J. Ege, and E. von Mutius The asthma epidemic. N. Engl. J. Med., November 23, 2006; 355(21): 2226 - 2235. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. A Litonjua, S. L Rifas-Shiman, N. P Ly, K. G Tantisira, J. W Rich-Edwards, C. A Camargo Jr, S. T Weiss, M. W Gillman, and D. R Gold Maternal antioxidant intake in pregnancy and wheezing illnesses in children at 2 y of age. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2006; 84(4): 903 - 911. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M L Burr, D Wat, C Evans, F D J Dunstan, I J M Doull, and on behalf of the British Thoracic Society Research Asthma prevalence in 1973, 1988 and 2003 Thorax, April 1, 2006; 61(4): 296 - 299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Galassi, M. De Sario, A. Biggeri, L. Bisanti, E. Chellini, G. Ciccone, M. G. Petronio, S. Piffer, P. Sestini, F. Rusconi, et al. Changes in Prevalence of Asthma and Allergies Among Children and Adolescents in Italy: 1994-2002 Pediatrics, January 1, 2006; 117(1): 34 - 42. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. P. van Schayck and H. A. Smit The prevalence of asthma in children: a reversing trend Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2005; 26(4): 647 - 650. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I K Zollner, S K Weiland, I Piechotowski, T Gabrio, E von Mutius, B Link, G Pfaff, B Kouros, and J Wuthe No increase in the prevalence of asthma, allergies, and atopic sensitisation among children in Germany: 1992-2001 Thorax, July 1, 2005; 60(7): 545 - 548. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J B Austin, S Selvaraj, D Godden, and G Russell Deprivation, smoking, and quality of life in asthma Arch. Dis. Child., March 1, 2005; 90(3): 253 - 257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S Chinn Concurrent trends in asthma and obesity Thorax, January 1, 2005; 60(1): 3 - 4. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Devenny, H. Wassall, T. Ninan, M. Omran, S. D. Khan, and G. Russell Respiratory symptoms and atopy in children in Aberdeen: questionnaire studies of a defined school population repeated over 35 years BMJ, August 28, 2004; 329(7464): 489 - 490. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Dagoye, Z. Bekele, K. Woldemichael, H. Nida, M. Yimam, A.J. Venn, A. Hall, J.R. Britton, S.A. Lewis, T. Mckeever, et al. Domestic risk factors for wheeze in urban and rural Ethiopian children QJM, August 1, 2004; 97(8): 489 - 498. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Shafazand and G. Colice Asthma: The Epidemic Has Ended, or Has It? Chest, June 1, 2004; 125(6): 1969 - 1970. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. H. Vargas, G. S. Diaz-Mejia, M. E. Y. Furuya, J. Salas, and A. Lugo Trends of Asthma in Mexico: An 11-Year Analysis in a Nationwide Institution Chest, June 1, 2004; 125(6): 1993 - 1997. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
X S Wang, T N Tan, L P C Shek, S Y Chng, C P P Hia, N B H Ong, S Ma, B W Lee, and D Y T Goh The prevalence of asthma and allergies in Singapore; data from two ISAAC surveys seven years apart Arch. Dis. Child., May 1, 2004; 89(5): 423 - 426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Nowak, C. Suppli Ulrik, and E. von Mutius Asthma and atopy: has peak prevalence been reached? Eur. Respir. J., March 1, 2004; 23(3): 359 - 360. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Braun-Fahrlander, M. Gassner, L. Grize, K. Takken-Sahli, U. Neu, T. Stricker, H.S. Varonier, B. Wuthrich, F.H. Sennhauser, and the Swiss Study on Childhood Allergy and Respirato No further increase in asthma, hay fever and atopic sensitisation in adolescents living in Switzerland Eur. Respir. J., March 1, 2004; 23(3): 407 - 413. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Cullinan and A. Newman Taylor Asthma: environmental and occupational factors Br. Med. Bull., December 1, 2003; 68(1): 227 - 242. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G Russell Asthma in the transition from childhood to adulthood Thorax, February 1, 2002; 57(2): 96 - 97. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |