Objective: To examine the feasibility of measuring asthma prevalence by means of an audio-visual presentation of asthma symptoms and signs (video questionnaire) and to compare this technique with a standard written questionnaire for predicting bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
Design: A cross-sectional study comparing the ability of a video questionnaire and a written, interviewer administered questionnaire to predict bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Bronchial responsiveness was measured with hand held nebulisers.
Setting: Community survey of a New Zealand rural secondary school.
Subjects: A total of 456 adolescent school children aged 12-19 years (mean 15.5 years).
Outcome measures: Comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of a standard questionnaire versus a video questionnaire for bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
Results: The technique was easy to administer in the community setting. Overall sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of bronchial hyperresponsiveness were similar for the video and interviewer administered questionnaires.
Conclusions: This new technique is easily used in the community setting, and gives predictions of bronchial hyperresponsiveness similar to those of a standard interviewer administered questionnaire. Further examination of the technique in comparisons of asthma prevalence among different populations is planned.