Abstract
Background: Recent results suggest that trends in the frequency of asthma and respiratory symptoms depend on the region studied.
Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze temporal trends in the frequency of respiratory symptoms and associated diseases over the past 21 years in school children from Silesia, Poland.
Methods: We compared the results of four population-based surveys performed in the town of Chorzow in 1993, 2002, 2007 and 2014 in children aged 7-10 years. All four studies had the same study protocol, recruitment (cluster, school-based sampling), questionnaire (WHO respiratory health questionnaire), and principal investigator The surveys included 1130 children in 1993, 1421 children in 2002, 1661 children in 2007 and 1698 in 2014.
Results: The results, covering a 21 year span, showed a statistically significant (p<0.05) increase in the prevalence of asthma and spastic bronchitis diagnosed by physician as well as attacks of dyspnea and symptoms induced by exercise (wheeze, dyspnea, cough).
Conclusions: Our findings are in line with the concept of a real increase in the occurrence of asthma, in children. The pattern involves not only physician-diagnosed allergic diseases but also occurrence of symptoms related to respiratory disorders.
- © 2014 ERS
