Prevalence of respiratory symptoms and asthma at baseline and follow-up
| Males# | Females¶ | All subjects+ | |||||||
| 1985 | 1996/1997 | Increase | 1985 | 1996/1997 | Increase | 1985 | 1996/1997 | Increase | |
| Subjects n | |||||||||
| Respiratory symptoms and asthma | |||||||||
| Asthma | 3.6 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 5.6 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 2.6 |
| Morning cough | 23.7 | 24.7 | 1.0 | 18.2 | 25.0 | 6.8 | 21.1 | 24.9 | 3.8 |
| Daytime cough | 13.4 | 15.5 | 2.1 | 9.1 | 14.7 | 5.6 | 11.9 | 15.1 | 3.2 |
| Chronic cough | 11.5 | 12.1 | 0.6 | 8.0 | 12.3 | 4.3 | 10.0 | 12.2 | 2.2 |
| Phlegm cough | 25.0 | 26.3 | 1.3 | 17.2 | 21.1 | 3.9 | 20.7 | 23.6 | 2.9 |
| Dyspnoea grade 1 | 15.2 | 18.9 | 3.7 | 20.4 | 25.2 | 4.8 | 19.1 | 22.2 | 3.1 |
| Dyspnoea grade 2 | 8.1 | 12.1 | 4.0 | 11.8 | 20.1 | 8.3 | 11.2 | 16.2 | 5.0 |
| Dyspnoea grade 3 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 6.5 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 5.5 | 2.6 |
| Dyspnoea grade 4 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 |
| Attacks of dyspnoea | 11.3 | 12.7 | 1.4 | 13.0 | 15.9 | 2.9 | 12.2 | 14.4 | 2.2 |
| Wheezing | 22.0 | 35.7 | 13.7 | 18.5 | 36.5 | 18.0 | 20.6 | 36.1 | 15.5 |
Data are presented as %
#: n=1,352
¶: n=1,467
+: n=2,819