Asthma and limitation of activities in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta

A study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and impact of asthma in elementary school children in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. Questionnaires were distributed at all seven elementary schools and were completed by the parents. Of the 1,457 eligible students in grades one to six, questionnaires were returned for 1,083 (74%). A history of physician-diagnosed asthma was reported for 12.9% of the children: 16.0% of boys and 9.7% of girls. Currently, 9.9% of children had asthma: 11.6% of boys and 8.2% of girls. Compared to children without, those with asthma were more than 10 times as likely to have to limit their activities for a health reason (70.5% versus 6.6%), missed school more often for health reasons (32.7% versus 14.8% missed two or more days in the previous month), reported more "colds" in the previous year and were three times as likely to have had pneumonia. The prevalence of asthma is approximately twice as high as that found in children across Canada and underscores the need to determine risk factors for asthma in this population. The finding that 1 in 10 children had asthma emphasized the need for programs aimed at children with asthma.