Temporal change in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and obstructive airways disease 1993-2001.
BACKGROUND
There has been little available information regarding secular changes in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms since the mid-1990s.


OBJECTIVE
To examine changes in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms for 1993-2001.


METHODS
A series of postal questionnaire surveys.


METHODS
Two general practice populations, including all age groups.


METHODS
Four postal respiratory questionnaire surveys were conducted between 1993 and 2001. Subjects who replied to two or more surveys (8058 adults and 2350 children) were included in the main analyses. Validated scoring systems were used to define obstructive airways disease in adults and asthma in children.


RESULTS
Over the 8-year observation period there were increases among adults in the crude prevalence of wheeze, being woken by cough, receipt of current asthma medication, and of obstructive airways disease, compared with decreases in children for wheeze, night cough, asthma attacks, and asthma. For adults, adjusted odds ratios per year of secular increase were 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02 to 1.03) for wheeze, 1.03 (95% CI = 1.02 to 1.03) for being woken by cough, 1.03 (95% CI = 1.02 to 1.04) for asthma medication, and 1.02 (95% CI = 1.01 to 1.03) for obstructive airways disease. These increases were greater in those aged over 44 years, in males, and in those without a family history of asthma or a history of hayfever or eczema. Corresponding decreases for children were 0.94 (95% CI = 0.92 to 0.97) for wheeze, 0.93 (95% CI = 0.91 to 0.96) for night cough, 0.93 (95% CI = 0.90 to 0.95) for asthma attacks and 0.98 (95% CI = 0.95 to 1.00) for asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
The increases found in adults are more likely to be due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than asthma. This is supported by the decreases in symptom and asthma prevalence in children.
Frank
Peter I
PI
North West Lung Centre, General Practice Research Unit, Manchester. gpresearchunit@yahoo.co.uk
Wicks
Paul D
PD
Hazell
Michelle L
ML
Linehan
Mary F
MF
Hirsch
Sybil
S
Hannaford
Philip C
PC
Frank
Timothy L
TL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005194:Family Practice / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology