title: Rising trends in the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases among school children in the north-west coastal part of Croatia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate time trends in prevalence of symptoms and reported diagnosis related to asthma, allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis and eczema among school children in the north-west coastal part of Croatia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Results of two identical cross-sectional surveys conducted on the same area 8 years apart (school years 2001/02 versus 2009/10) in complete adherence to the protocol of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood were compared. Surveyed population comprised two age groups: 6-7 years (n = 1634 versus n = 1052) and 13-14 years (n = 2194 versus 1181).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant (p < 0.001) increases in prevalence (%) of symptoms related to asthma (8.4 versus 14.0), allergic rhinitis (17.5 versus 25.6), allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (6.7 versus 15.3) and eczema (3.4 versus 5.9) were observed in the 13-14-year-olds. In the 6-7-year-olds there were observed significant (p < 0.001) increases in prevalence of symptoms of eczema (5.4 versus 8.7) and allergic rhinitis (16.9 versus 22.1) whereas prevalence of symptoms related to asthma (9.7 versus 9.4; p = 0.398) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (5.6 versus 6.8; p = 0.102) showed to be stable. Significant increases in prevalence of reported diagnosis were observed for asthma (5.2 versus 6.9; p = 0.02) and hay fever (10.5 versus 14.6; p < 0.001) in the older, and for eczema (10.6 versus 14.1; p < 0.001) in the younger age group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases among the school children living on the surveyed area showed a rising trend.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka , Rijeka , Croatia .
authors.forename: Srđan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banac
authors.forename: Vojko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rožmanić
authors.forename: Koraljka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manestar
authors.forename: Zrinka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Korotaj-Rožmanić
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lah-Tomulić
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vidović
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serer
authors.forename: Nastasja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Svraka
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Petrić
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence