[Prevalence and control of asthma in young children in France].
BACKGROUND
Few data on regional variations in asthma prevalence are available in France.


METHODS
The study was carried out during the academic year 2005-2006 in a random sample of around 20,000 children in the last year of nursery school. The lifetime prevalence of asthma and the preceding year prevalences of asthma-like symptoms and treatment for wheezing or asthma attacks were estimated by region.


RESULTS
Overall, the lifetime prevalence of asthma was 9.8 % and the past-year prevalence of wheezing was 10.7 %. An increasing trend in prevalence was observed from Eastern to Western France and in overseas territories. The regional variations in past-year prevalence of wheezing remained when adjusting for gender, family structure and the number of siblings. Among children who had wheezed or received a treatment in the past year, 42 % had experienced frequent or severe symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Large regional variations in asthma prevalence among young children in France exist.
Départment des maladies chroniques, Institut de veille sanitaire, 12 rue du Val d'Osne, Saint-Maurice cedex, France. mc.delmas@invs.sante.fr
M-C
MC
Delmas
N
N
Guignon
B
B
Leynaert
I
I
Annesi-Maesano
L
L
Com-Ruelle
L
L
Gonzalez
C
C
Fuhrman
D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires