title: Prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in Croatian children is increasing: survey study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis among school children in the region of Primorsko-goranska County in Croatia, and compare the results with data from other countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted during the 2001-2002 school year, in complete adherence to the Phase One protocol of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The target population comprised two age groups (6-7 and 13-14 years) in the region of Primorsko-Goranska County in Croatia. Data were collected using standardized ISAAC written questionnaire and asthma video questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 1,634 participating children in the 6-7 age group (response rate 80.3%) and 2,194 participating children in the 13-14 age group (response rate 89.8%). Estimated 12-month prevalence rates of symptoms were: wheezing 9.7% and 8.4%, allergic rhinitis symptoms 16.9% and 17.5%, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms 5.6% and 6.7%, and atopic dermatitis symptoms 5.4% and 3.4%, for younger and older age group, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest an increase in the prevalence of atopic disease symptoms in north-west part of Croatia over the last few decades when compared to prior studies. The results are suitable for international comparison, suggesting that this part of Croatia is a county with a moderate prevalence of atopic diseases in the pediatric population. The results represent a baseline for further epidemiological research of asthma and allergic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Rijeka University Hospital Center, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Allergy, Clinic for Pediatrics, Istarska 43, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. srdjan.banac@medri.hr
authors.forename: Srdan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banac
authors.forename: Kristina Lah
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Tomulić
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ahel
authors.forename: Vojko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rozmanić
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simundić
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zubović
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milardović
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Topić
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology*