title: Trends in the prevalence of childhood asthma and allergy in Western part of Georgia.
abstract: Internatinal time trend analyses, using the ISAAC (Phase Three) protocol, have yielded variable results and observed a rise in prevalence especially in areas where allergic diseases were previously less common. In 2003 and 2012, we performed cross-sectional studies in Kutaisi (western part of Georgia) schoolchildren aged 6-7 and 13-14 yr., using the validated ISAAC methodology, aiming to provide the prevalence trends of asthma and allergy in this population. Both cross-sectional studies were carried out in the same city, same season and used identical methodologies. In 2003, number of participants in 6-7 and 13-14 yrs old groups was 2666 and 2650 and in 2012 - 3039 and 2339 correspondently. Significant alteration in prevalence of asthma related symptoms was obtained in both age groups. The symptom of severe asthma had increased only in 13-14 year old adolescents and was not change in 6-7 year old group. There were significant increases (all to p < 0.001) in the symptoms of current sneezing (16.4% vs 8.7% and 28.4% vs 15.3% in 6-7 yr group and 13-14 yr group correspondently) and rhinoconjunctivitis (5.2% vs 2.9% and 9.6% vs 4.5% yr group and 13-14 yr group correspondently). Symptoms of current eczema (affecting flexural dermatitis) were increased in both age groups. The prevalence of asthma and allergies markedly increase among both age groups of schoolchildren in the western part of Georgia. The exact reasons for such trends remain to be explored.
authors.affiliation: Center for Allergy and Immunology Research, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abramidze
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gotua
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rukhadze
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mgaloblishvili
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gamkrelidze
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005846:Georgia (Republic) / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies