title: Obstructive airways diseases, smoking and use of inhaled corticosteroids in southern Sweden in 1992 and 2000.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the prevalence of obstructive pulmonary diseases, respiratory symptoms, smoking habits and pulmonary medication in an adult population, and to compare the results with a study performed in the same geographical area in 1992.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2000, a postal questionnaire was sent to a randomly selected population of 5179 subjects aged 20-59 years living in southern Sweden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participation rate was 71.3%. Self-reported asthma was reported by 8.5% of all respondents (vs. 5.5% in 1992, P < 0.001) and 14.5% of females aged 20-29 years. Self-reported chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CBE/COPD) was reported by 3.6% (vs. 4.6% in 1992, non-significant) with the highest prevalence (5.7%) in the 50-59 year cohort. Smoking decreased from 33.3% in 1992 to 28.4% in 2000 (P < 0.05). About 46% of asthmatics reported nocturnal respiratory symptoms, and 69% reported having had asthma symptoms in the last 12 months. Use of inhaled steroids increased in subjects with asthma and CBE/COPD from 19.4% to 36.5% (P < 0.05) and from 8.6% to 30.0% (P < 0.05), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reported asthma increased significantly between 1992 and 2000, but the prevalence of CBE/COPD was unchanged. The high proportion of reported symptoms in asthmatics despite an increased use of steroids suggests that further efforts are needed to improve asthma treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. peter.montnemery@smi.mas.lu.se
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montnémery
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nihlén
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greiff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johannisson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.forename: C G A
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Löfdahl
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones