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Asthma and wheezing symptoms in young people in six Western countries

A Hublet1, A Andersen, E Godeau

  • 1Department of Public Health, Ghent University, University Hospital-bloc A-2nd floor, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. anne.hublet@UGent.be

Revue D'Epidemiologie Et De Sante Publique
|November 8, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Childhood asthma prevalence varies significantly by country, with many experiencing undiagnosed asthma-like symptoms. These symptoms represent a potential, unrecognized risk group for public health initiatives.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood asthma exhibits significant geographical variations in diagnosis.
  • Large-scale surveys often overlook children with asthma-like symptoms, focusing only on diagnosed cases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of diagnosed asthma and asthma-like symptoms in school-aged children across different countries.
  • To analyze gender and age-related differences in asthma prevalence and symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • A validated asthma questionnaire was administered as part of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study across six nations.
  • Prevalence rates were analyzed by country, gender, and age.
  • Binary and multinomial logistic regressions controlled for age and smoking status to assess gender and age differences.

Main Results:

  • Significant international variations in diagnosed asthma (boys: 8.6%-20.9%; girls: 6.9%-18.5%) and asthma-like symptoms (boys: 9.6%-20.2%; girls: 9.2%-23.1%) were observed.
  • Controlling for age and smoking revealed gender disparities: more boys had diagnosed asthma, while more girls reported asthma-like symptoms.
  • Adolescents showed age-related differences in asthma-like symptoms, but not in diagnosed asthma.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights substantial country-level differences in both diagnosed asthma and wheezing symptoms among children.
  • A significant population of children with undiagnosed "asthma-like symptoms" was identified across all participating countries.
  • This unrecognized group represents a potential target for health promotion and intervention strategies.
Abstract

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