title: Asthma and other atopic diseases in Australian children. Australian arm of the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis in Australian schoolchildren using the protocol of the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire-based survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide (in winter-spring, 1993) and Perth (in winter-spring, 1994).
  
  
  METHODS
  All children in school years 1 and 2 (ages 6-7 years) or in year 8 (ages 13-14 years), attending a random sample of 272 schools, stratified by age and city.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parent-reported (for 6-7 year olds) or self-reported (for 13-14 year olds) symptoms of atopic disease in the previous 12 months, or ever; treatment of asthma; and country of birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  10,914 questionnaires were completed for 6-7 year olds and 12,280 for 13-14 year olds (84% and 94% response rates, respectively). Prevalence of wheeze in the past 12 months was 24.6% for the 6-7 year olds and 29.4% for the 13-14 year olds, and, among 6-7 year olds, was significantly higher in boys (27.4%) than girls (21.7%). Children born in Australia were more likely to report current wheeze than those born elsewhere (6-7 year olds: odds ratio [OR], 1.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55-2.15; and 13-14 year olds: OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.68-2.11). Prevalences of current eczema and allergic rhinitis were 10.9% and 12.0%, respectively, for the 6-7 year olds, and 9.7% and 19.6%, respectively, for the 13-14 year olds. Asthma, eczema and rhinitis coexisted in 1.8% of 6-7 year olds and 2.8% of 13-14 year olds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that asthma prevalence in Australian schoolchildren is continuing to increase and is higher among Australian-born children than among those born elsewhere. Asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis coexist to a lesser extent than expected. These results form the basis for future Australian and international comparisons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. cfrob@cryptic.rch.unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Peat
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Haby
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Landau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires