[Prevalence of asthma in Chilean students. Descriptive study of 24,470 children. ISAAC-Chile].
BACKGROUND
There is little information about the prevalence of asthma in Latin American children.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of asthma among Chilean school age children.


METHODS
The prevalence of respiratory symptoms related to asthma in schoolchildren aged 7 and 13 years, coming from South Santiago, Central Santiago, Valdivia and Punta Arenas, was determined using the methodology of the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISMC). A random sample of school children aged 6-7 and 13-14 years from each locality was selected. This resulted in 24)470 surveyed children (11,723 aged 6-7 years and 12,747 aged 13-14 years).


RESULTS
The current prevalence of wheezing ("wheezing in the last 12 months") ranged from 16.5% to 20.0% in children aged 67 years, and from 6.8% to 11.7% in children aged 13-14 years. The cumulative prevalence of asthma ("asthma ever"), ranged from 9.7% and 16.5% in the 6-7 years group and from 7.3% to 12.4% in those aged 13-14 years.


CONCLUSIONS
This study found much higher figures for prevalence of respiratory symptoms related to asthma in school children than those previously reported in this country, with a significant variability between centers (p < 0.05). The prevalence of asthma in Chilean schoolchildren is as high and variable as that reported in industrialized countries.
Mallol
J
J
Hospital CRS El Pino, Departamento de Medicina Respiratoria Infantil, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile. jmallol@lauca.usach.cl
Cortez
E
E
Amarales
L
L
Sánchez
I
I
Calvo
M
M
Soto
S
S
Strickler
A
A
Kyling
A
A
Sanhueza
I
I
Albornoz
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires