title: Asthma, chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms among adults in Estonia according to a postal questionnaire.
abstract: Epidemiological studies indicate a lower prevalence of asthma in Eastern than Western Europe. This study of the prevalence of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and respiratory symptoms was performed in three different regions of Estonia, a state incorporated in the Soviet Union until 1991. A postal questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 24,307 of the population aged 15-64 years. The response rate was 77.6%. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 2.0% or considerably lower than in Northern and Western European countries. The prevalence of wheezing last 12 months, 21.7%, recurrent wheeze, 13.3%, and attacks of shortness of breath, 12.5%, were similar or even higher compared with prevalence rates found in the Nordic countries. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis was 10.7%, and was higher among women than in men, although the proportion of current smokers among men, 57%, was considerably greater than in women, 28%. A possible explanation to the high prevalence of respiratory symptoms also among non-smoking women may be exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in small, crowded Estonian homes. Diagnostic criteria based on the Soviet-time definitions is discussed as a possible explanation to the low prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and high prevalence of chronic bronchitis in Estonia compared with other Northern European countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Tallinn, Estonia. meren@online.ee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meren
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jannus-Pruljan
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Loit
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Põlluste
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jönsson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiviloog
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lundbäck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution