[Increased proportion of elementary school children with asthmatic symptoms in the Netherlands, 1984/85-1994/95; a literature review].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the prevalence of asthmatic symptoms among children in the Netherlands has changed.


METHODS
Literature study.


METHODS
Investigations into the prevalence of children with asthmatic symptoms were collected from Medline, Embase and various libraries if they had been performed between 1984/'85 and 1994/'95 and had used the so-called WHO or Region list. 23 studies were selected with data on 76,353 elementary school pupils. Linear regression analysis, weighed for the number of children, was used to determine if the proportions of children with asthmatic symptoms had increased over the years.


RESULTS
In 10 years the prevalence of recent shortness of breath had increased by 107% (from 4.16 to 8.63%), that of recent wheeze by 16% (from 10.64 to 12.35%), that of recent attacks of breathlessness with wheezing by 17% (from 5.29 to 6.19%), and for chronic cough by 259 (from 1.05 to 3.77%) to 272% (from 3.14 to 11.68%). The prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma had increased by 120% (from 2.82 to 6.19%).


CONCLUSIONS
There had been a pronounced increase in the percentage of primary schoolchildren with asthmatic symptoms between 1984/'85 and 1994/'95. The prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma increased faster then did key symptoms of asthma.
van der Wal
M F
MF
Afd. Epidemiologie, Documentatic en Gezondheidsbevordering, GG&GD Amsterdam.
Uitenbroek
D G
DG
Verhoeff
A P
AP
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds