title: Prevalence of rhinitis among 6 and 7-year old students in Fortaleza.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the prevalence of rhinitis symptoms among 6 and 7-year old schoolchildren in Fortaleza, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  a cross-sectional study using the rhinitis module of the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire. The sample included 2,020 students from public and private schools, in 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the prevalence of cumulative rhinitis, active rhinitis, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and physician-diagnosed rhinitis was 49.9%, 42%, 15.4% and 28.1%, respectively, being significantly more prevalent among private school students (OR = 0.55, 95CI: 0.46 - 0.66, p < 0.001; OR = 0.50, 95CI: 0.41 - 0.60, p < 0.001; OR = 0.67, 95CI: 0.52 - 0.85, p < 0.001; OR = 0.15, 95CI: 0.12 - 0.19, p < 0.001, respectively), without differences between genders. Interference with daily activities was reported by 25.3%, while 5.7% reported to be moderately or severely affected, without a difference between genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the prevalence of rhinitis symptoms and associated morbidity among 6-7-year old schoolchildren in Fortaleza was above the Brazilian average, with predominance among private school students, without difference between genders. It was observed that rhinitis was underdiagnosed in this population.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima G de
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.affiliation: Post-Graduate in Pediatric Medicine course, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilberto B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Rafael G de
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.affiliation: State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo G C da
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo César de
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: University of Fortaleza, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chiesa
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population