Asthma and atopy in four rural Australian aboriginal communities.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and nature of asthma in four rural Australian Aboriginal communities.


METHODS
Cross-sectional population study.


METHODS
Four Aboriginal communities in Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia, Australia.


METHODS
Data were collected from 1252 subjects aged 5-84 years in August 1990 and August/September 1991.


METHODS
Respiratory symptoms, measured by interview-administered questionnaire; airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), measured by histamine challenge; and allergy, measured by skin-pick tests. AHR was a PD20FEV1 of histamine of less than or equal to 3.9 mumol.


RESULTS
The prevalence of AHR in the four communities ranged from 2.2% to 7.5% and significantly increased with age (chi 2 trend test: P < 0.05). The prevalence of current asthma was 0.5% among 8-12 year old children and 3.3% among adults. The overall prevalence of atopy in the four communities ranged from 21% to 34%. Allergy to cats, house dust mites or cigarette smoking was a risk factor for AHR, and cat allergy was a risk factor for current asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of asthma in rural Aboriginal adults is low in comparison with the prevalence among non-Aboriginal Australians, and asthma in Aboriginal children is almost non-existent. The low prevalence of asthma is possibly due to environmental factors that influence the acquisition of atopy and AHR.
Veale
A J
AJ
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra.
Peat
J K
JK
Tovey
E R
ER
Salome
C M
CM
Thompson
J E
JE
Woolcock
A J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology; D012424:Rural Population; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
D004391:Dust