[Prevalence of respiratory and atopic disorders in Chinese school children].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence of respiratory and atopic disorders, and to assess the role of atopy in the development of asthma in Chinese school children from Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.


METHODS
Community-based random samples of school children aged 9 approximately 11 years from three Chinese cities (Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong) were recruited for study using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase II protocol. Subjects were studied by parental questionnaires (n = 10 902), skin-prick tests and skin examination (n = 3 479).


RESULTS
The prevalence rates of current wheeze, speech limiting wheeze, rhinoconjunctivitis and flexural dermatitis were significantly higher in Hong Kong than in Beijing and Guangzhou. The atopy rate was also higher in Hong Kong (41.2%) than in Beijing (23.9%) and Guangzhou (30.8%). Atopy was strongly correlated with current wheeze (OR = 7.74; 95% CI = 5.70 approximately 10.51). Subgroup analyses of children from Hong Kong revealed that children born in mainland China who had subsequently migrated to Hong Kong had a significantly lower rate of allergic symptoms and atopy than those born in Hong Kong.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of asthma, allergic diseases and atopy was highest in school children from Hong Kong. Atopic sensitizations is an important factor associated with asthma in Chinese children.
Chen
Yu-zhi
YZ
Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China.
Wang
Hong-yu
HY
Wang
Hai-jun
HJ
Ma
Yi
Y
Li
Shuo
S
Zhao
Jing
J
Zhong
Nan-shan
NS
Huang
Yong-jian
YJ
Huo
Tai-hui
TH
Lai
Qi-wei
QW
D000818:Animals; D044466:Asian People; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015995:Prevalence; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires