Prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases among schoolchildren in Bolu, Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
In this study we aimed to detect the prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases in children aged between 7 and 14 years old at rural and urban areas of Bolu, Turkey.


METHODS
Questionnaire of International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) phase one and questionnaire including questions about family, demographic, socio-economic characteristics of children were applied to 931 schoolchildren who were selected by randomized sampling.


RESULTS
In children, the prevalence of diseases and symptoms were as follows: wheeze ever: 15.5%, asthma: 5.6%, nasal symptoms ever: 41.4%, allergic rhinitis: 23.2%, itchy rash ever: 5.9% and eczema: 5.0%. In multivariate regression analysis, presence of allergic disease in the family was risk factor for wheezing (OR=1.74, 95% CI=1.19-2.76), asthma (OR=2.19, CI=1.06-4.52), allergic rhinitis (OR=2.68, CI=1.80-3.98) and eczema (OR=2.33, CI=1.17-4.65); living in shanties was risk factor for allergic rhinitis (OR=5.26, CI=2.1-13.16); a monthly income below $300 was risk factor for asthma (OR=2.54, CI=1.06-6.08).


CONCLUSIONS
It was detected that the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and its symptoms was more common in schoolchildren living in Bolu. Presence of allergic disease in fathers or mothers and low socio-economic level increase the risk of asthma and other allergic diseases in children.
Talay
Fahrettin
F
Department of Chest Diseases, Abant Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey. ftalay2000@yahoo.com
Kurt
Bahar
B
Tug
Tuncer
T
Yilmaz
Fahrettin
F
Goksugur
Nadir
N
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology