Asthma and hayfever in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children living in non-remote rural towns.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence and risk factors for wheeze, asthma diagnosis and hayfever in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children living in rural towns in Australia.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study in two towns in rural NSW, Australia, 1997.


METHODS
Primary school children (aged 7-12 years) classified by their parents as being of Aboriginal (n = 158) or of non-Aboriginal (n = 1,282) origin.


METHODS
Atopy measured by skinprick tests and respiratory symptoms measured by parent-completed questionnaire.


RESULTS
Aboriginal children were less likely to be atopic (36.2% v 45.6%; 95% CI for the difference, -17.6 to -1.3) and to have hayfever (23.3% v 35.2%; 95% CI for the difference, -19.1 to -4.6) than non-Aboriginal children, but were equally likely to have had wheeze (31.0% v 27.3%) and asthma (39.4% v 39.3%). Among Aboriginal children, having had bronchitis before age two was a strong risk factor for wheeze (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 9.3; 95% CI, 2.8-30.2) and asthma (aOR, 19.3; 95% CI, 4.7-79.3) and having a parent with hayfever was a strong risk factor for hayfever (aOR, 17.9; 95% CI, 3.5-90.8), but these risk factors were weaker among non-Aboriginal children.


CONCLUSIONS
Asthma and wheeze are equally prevalent in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children living in the same towns, but appear to have a different aetiology.
Downs
S H
SH
Institute of Respiratory Medicine, NSW, University of Sydney, Camperdown.
Marks
G B
GB
Belosouva
E G
EG
Peat
J K
JK
D000485:Allergens; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
D000485:Allergens