Asthma in children: epidemiology

摘要: Asthma is one of the commonest childhood illnesses, and its prevalence severity may be increasing. Determining whether this so has been difficult, however, because lack a widely accepted epidemiological definition asthma an objective measure that applicable to children reasonably sensitive specific. Furthermore, many studies purporting show increase in have used different measures studied far from comparable populations over period suggested increase. Several valid now reported substantial some countries. In 1991 Robertson colleagues Melbourne showed doubling 26 years, 46%, with wheeze on or more occasions before age 7; 21- 23% had wheezed previous 12 months.1 These findings confirmed by Peat colleagues, who aged 8-10 two country towns New South Wales (p 1591).2 They found about 10 23-27%, reporting months. This not solely Australian phenomenon - Anderson et al report modest 13 13%, …