title: Prevalence of asthma, local risk factors and agreement between written and video questionnaires among Turkish adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is currently no standard tool for the measurement of asthma in epidemiological studies. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of asthma, to describe the potential local risk factors, and to assess the agreement between written and video questionnaires in 13- to 14-year-old schoolchildren.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional study involving 5427 adolescents in 26 schools. Prevalence of asthma symptoms were evaluated using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) written and video questionnaire. The adolescents were asked additional questions for risk factors of asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of lifetime wheeze, wheeze in the last 12 months and doctor-diagnosed asthma with written questionnaire were found as 13.5%, 6.3% and 11.2% respectively. Prevalence of lifetime wheeze, wheeze in the last 12 months, wheeze after exercise in the last 12 months, with video questionnaire were found as 9.6%, 5.5%, 11.9% and 1.9% respectively. The proportion of total agreement between the two questionnaires was high (0.77-0.81) with poor kappa value (0.25-0.50). In multivariate analysis, family history of atopy, stuffed toys and accompaniment of children to their parents after school hours in textile industry were found as risk factors for asthma. In addition kind of bird, such as canary was found as a risk factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of asthma is moderate in Turkey. Agreement between the two questionnaires was high. Accompaniment of children to their parents in textile industry is a newly-described risk factor for asthma.
authors: Pamukkale University, Pamukkale School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Becerir
authors: Clinic of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Allergy, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Akcay
authors: Cumhuriyet University, Cumhuriyet School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Allergy, Sivas, Turkey. Electronic address: fatmaayata77@mynet.com.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Duksal
authors: Pamukkale University, Pamukkale School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ergin
authors: Pamukkale University, Pamukkale School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Denizli, Turkey.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Becerir
authors: Istanbul University, Istanbul School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Allergy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Guler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002171:Canaries; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Adolescent; Asthma; ISAAC; Prevalence; Risk factor