title: Prevalence of asthma and asthma-like symptoms in inner-city schoolchildren.
abstract: This study investigates the prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms in New Orleans inner-city schoolchildren. A cross-sectional survey of 1535 elementary, middle, and high school children (aged 5-18) was conducted by using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) written questionnaire. Lifetime prevalence of wheezing was 39.4%, and lifetime prevalence of asthma was 24.4%. Wheezing during the previous 12 months was reported by 25.7% of the sample. Twenty-one percent of respondents reported having one or more attacks of wheezing per year, with 5.6% reporting four or more attacks per year. Many participants reported sleep disturbance (15.4%), with 6.2% reporting sleep disturbance more than once a week. The 12-month rate of speech limitation due to asthma exacerbation was 6.6%. Exercise-induced asthma was reported by 16.9% of the students, and nocturnal cough (not associated with cold) was reported by 27.3%. Overall, boys reported higher rates of symptoms than girls, and younger children (aged 6-7) reported greater symptoms than older children (aged 13-14). These findings show that prevalence of asthma in this population is elevated, and the ISAAC written questionnaire successfully identified inner-city children at risk for asthma in New Orleans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy/lmmunology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. mmvula@Isuhsc.edu
authors.forename: Mosanda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mvula
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larzelere
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moisiewicz
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: Cleveland
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012574:Schools; D014504:Urban Health