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Published on: August 7, 2017
Trends in childhood asthma in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden
Lise Gehrt1,2, Signe Vahlkvist3, Thomas Houmann Petersen3
1Bandim Health Project, Research Unit OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Insights
This study estimated childhood asthma incidence in Nordic countries from 2000-2017. Preschool asthma incidence peaked around 2009, while school-age asthma trends varied by nation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric respiratory health
- Epidemiology
- Public health
Background:
- Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.
- Understanding childhood asthma incidence is crucial for public health planning.
- Nordic countries offer a unique setting for epidemiological studies due to their robust health registries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the cumulative incidence (CI) of asthma in children aged 0-15 years.
- To analyze asthma incidence trends in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden between 2000 and 2017.
- To compare preschool and school-age asthma incidence across Nordic countries.
Main Methods:
- Utilized national health registers to identify asthma cases in children up to 15 years.
- Employed an algorithm combining hospital diagnoses and prescription data for case identification.
- Calculated cumulative incidence (CI) in 1-year age intervals for each country and birth year.
Main Results:
- Preschool asthma incidence peaked for 2008/2009 birth cohorts, with rates ranging from 11.0% (Finland) to 15.1% (Norway).
- School-age asthma incidence for the 2002 birth cohort was highest in Finland (10.5%) and lowest in Denmark (7.1%).
- A slight decrease in preschool asthma was observed for later cohorts, while school-age asthma trends varied by country.
Conclusions:
- Finland showed a lower preschool asthma CI, and Denmark a lower school-age asthma CI.
- Preschool asthma incidence may be plateauing in the Nordic region.
- Variations in diagnostic and prescription practices could influence observed asthma incidence rates.
Aim:
Estimate the incidence of asthma among children aged 0 to 15 years in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden during 2000-2017.
Methods:
Cases of preschool asthma (up to 6 years) and school-age asthma (from 6 years) were identified through national registers using an algorithm including hospital diagnoses and prescription medicines. The respective cumulative incidence (CI) was estimated in 1-year age intervals for each country and birth year.
Results:
The CI of algorithm-based preschool asthma peaked for the birth cohorts 2008 or 2009 at 14.8% in Denmark, 11.0% in Finland, 15.1% in Norway and 13.7% in Sweden. For later birth cohorts, a slight decrease was observed. The CI of school-age asthma was 7.1% in Denmark, 10.5% in Finland, 9.7% in Norway and 10.2% in Sweden (children born in 2002). A slight decline over time was seen in Denmark and Norway, and a slight increase in Sweden and Finland.
Conclusion:
Finland had a markedly lower CI of preschool asthma and Denmark lower CI of school-age asthma as estimated by prescriptions and hospital diagnoses. Preschool asthma may have plateaued in the Nordic countries. For school-age asthma trends over time varied by country. Differences in diagnostic and prescription practices may have influenced the results.
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