Prevalence of asthma among adolescents in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of asthma among adolescents (13-14 years of age) in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study involving 3,015 adolescents at public and private schools between 2006 and 2007. The participants completed the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire.


RESULTS
The prevalences of 'wheezing ever', 'wheezing within the last 12 months' (active asthma) and 'asthma ever' (physician-diagnosed asthma) were 44.1%, 22.6% and 11.6%, respectively. The prevalences of 'wheezing ever' (p = 0.001), '1-3 wheezing attacks within the last 12 months' (p = 0.001), active asthma (p = 0.002), 'sleep disturbed due to wheezing less than one night per week' (p < 0.001) and 'dry cough at night' (p < 0.001) were higher among girls. Private school students presented higher prevalences of 'wheezing ever', active asthma, '1-3 wheezing attacks within the last 12 months', '4-12 wheezing attacks within the last 12 months' and physician-diagnosed asthma (p < 0.001 for all), as well as of 'exercise-induced wheezing' (p = 0.032).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms in students aged 13-14 years in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil, was high, predominantly among girls and private school students. The difference between the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and that of active asthma suggests that asthma was underdiagnosed in the population studied.
de Luna
Maria de Fátima Gomes
Mde F
Ceará State University, Fortaleza, Brazil. fatimaluna@terra.com.br
Almeida
Paulo César de
PC
Silva
Marcelo Gurgel Carlos da
MG
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution