Prevalence of childhood allergic diseases in Adana, Southern Turkey

A study to determine the prevalence of childhood asthma and other allergic diseases was done in Adana, during the period between January 1993 and January 1994. The study has been carried out on 2334 children (48.5% boys). Asthma and the other allergic diseases were recognized in 23.6% of the children. The prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing, and atopic dermatitis were found to be 12.9, 8.8, 8.4, and 5.0%, respectively. The symptoms of respiratory allergic diseases (asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing) seemed to be significantly associated with the environmental factors. In conclusion, asthma and other allergic diseases constituted a major health problem for school children in Adana.