title: Prevalence of respiratory symptoms in an unpolluted area of northern Italy.
abstract: Using a multistage stratified geographic cluster sample of households living in an unpolluted area of Northern Italy (near Venice), we enrolled 3289 inhabitants (aged 8-64 yr) for a longitudinal respiratory study. During the first cross-sectional survey, before the start of operation of a large oil-burning thermoelectric power plant, they completed a standardized administered questionnaire and performed several lung function tests. In the whole sample, dyspnoea grade 1 (11%), chronic cough and chronic phlegm (9%) were the most frequent respiratory symptoms; all the symptoms except dyspnoea were more prevalent in males than in females. Smokers (S) showed higher prevalence rates than ex-smokers (ES) and nonsmokers (NS), especially in males. In both sexes, the frequency of respiratory symptoms increased with increasing smoking as assessed by pack-years. An inverse relationship between prevalence of symptoms and socio-economic status was also observed. All tests of lung function were significantly impaired in S compared with NS in males; single-breath CO diffusing capacity and slope of alveolar plateau but not spirometric indices were significantly impaired in female S compared to female ES and NS. Finally, our prevalence rates were lower than in other epidemiological surveys: this result may be ascribed to the low levels of air pollution measured in the area.
authors.affiliation: CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viegi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paoletti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prediletto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrozzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fazzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Pede
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pistelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giuntini
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lebowitz
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000397:Air Pollution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires