title: Prevalences of asthma and rhinitis among adolescents in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil: temporal changes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the prevalences of asthma and rhinitis in adolescents (13-14 years of age) in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2010, comparing the results with those obtained in a prevalence survey conducted in 2006-2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study involving probabilistic samples of 3,015 and 3,020 adolescents in surveys conducted in 2006-2007 and 2010, respectively. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood protocol was used on both occasions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing the two periods, there were no significant differences regarding cumulative wheezing, active asthma, four or more wheezing attacks within the last year, sleep disturbed by wheezing more than one night per week, and speech-limiting wheezing. The prevalences of exercise-induced wheezing, dry cough at night, and physician-diagnosed asthma were significantly higher in 2010 than in the 2006-2007 period (p < 0.01 for all). The prevalence of physician-diagnosed rhinitis was significantly lower in 2010 (p = 0.01), whereas there were no significant differences between the two periods regarding cumulative rhinitis, current rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis. In both periods, dry cough at night, current rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis were significantly more prevalent in females than in males (p < 0.01 for all). Also in both periods, active asthma, current rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis were more prevalent in private school students than in public school students (p < 0.01 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show that the prevalences of asthma and rhinitis symptoms remain high among 13- and 14-year-olds in Fortaleza, predominantly among females and private school students.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Fortaleza, Fortaleza, Brazil. fatimaluna@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima Gomes de
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Gilberto Bueno
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: João Rafael Gomes de
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Marcelo Gurgel Carlos da
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Paulo César de
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chiesa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017149:Private Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors