The changing prevalence of asthma-like respiratory symptoms in South Australian rural schoolchildren.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the changing prevalence of wheezy breathing and doctor-diagnosed asthma, as obtained by questionnaire data, from the years 1984-92 in a sample of South Australian rural schoolchildren.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of three populations of schoolchildren from the South Australian rural towns of Burra (mid-north), Gladstone (mid-north) and Kingston (southern, coastal). The cumulative or lifetime prevalences and the 12-month period prevalence (current) of respiratory symptoms were estimated from questionnaire data obtained from parental responses for 1032 schoolchildren aged from 5 to 18 years, and compared with prevalences obtained from a previous study.


RESULTS
The overall cumulative prevalence of wheezy breathing in 1992 was 36.2%, an increase from 24.1% in 1984 with a 12-month period prevalence of 25.0%. The 1992 cumulative prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was 23.3%. There was no difference in the prevalence of wheeze between the three rural regions studied. A trend to a higher prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma in one of the three regions was thought to be due to medical specialist input.


CONCLUSIONS
The cumulative prevalence for wheeze among school-age children in South Australian rural communities has increased in the period 1984-92. There were no regional differences in the cumulative prevalence rates. The results confirm previous studies in Victoria and New South Wales.
Crockett
A J
AJ
Respiratory Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Australia.
Cranston
J M
JM
Alpers
J H
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires