Changes in the prevalence of asthma, eczema and hay fever in pre-pubertal children: a 40-year perspective

Geraldine McNeill, Nara Tagiyeva, Lorna Sharman Aucott, G Russell, Peter Joseph Benedict Helms

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Surveys of primary schools children in Aberdeen carried out in 1964, 1989, 1994 and 1999 suggested a slowing of the increase in parent-reported wheeze between 1994 and 1999. To assess whether this pattern had continued, questionnaires were distributed to 5712 children aged 7-12 years in the same schools in 2004. A total of 3271 (57.3%) completed questionnaires were returned. As in earlier surveys the results were divided into those for younger children (school years 3-4; age 7-9 years) and older children (school years 5-7; age 9-12 years).

Compared with 1999, the 2004 results showed a decrease in the proportion of children with wheeze in the last 3 years from 30.1% to 23.3% (P < 0.001) in the younger group and from 27.6% to 25.1% (P = 0.052) in the older group. There was no significant change in the lifetime prevalence of asthma in either the younger or the older group, but the lifetime prevalence of eczema and hay fever increased by around 10% in both the younger and older groups (all P < 0.001). The differences in the time trends for the different conditions suggest that the causal factors for wheeze and asthma differ from those for other allergic diseases of childhood.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)506-512
Number of pages7
JournalPaediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
Volume23
Issue number6
Early online date11 Aug 2009
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2009

Keywords

  • asthma
  • eczema
  • hay fever
  • time trends
  • cross-sectional surveys
  • respiratory symptoms
  • childhood asthma
  • Aberdeen schoolchildren
  • postal questionnaire
  • trends
  • increase
  • ISAAC
  • atopy
  • adolescents

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Changes in the prevalence of asthma, eczema and hay fever in pre-pubertal children: a 40-year perspective'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this