HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: thx.2005.043646v1 61/5/383    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Butland, B K Articles by Anderson, H R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Butland, B K Articles by Anderson, H R

Childhood asthma in South London: trends in prevalence and use of medical services 1991–2002

Division of Community Health Sciences, St George’s, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
MsB K Butland
Lecturer in Medical Statistics, Division of Community Health Sciences, St George’s, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 ORE, UK;b.butland{at}sgul.ac.uk

Background: Hospital admission rates for asthma in Britain rose during the 1980s and fell during the 1990s, but less is known about recent trends in the prevalence of asthma.

Methods: In 1991 and 2002 the same questionnaire was distributed to parents of all school pupils in year 3 (aged 7–8 years) in the London borough of Croydon. Parents of currently wheezy children were then invited for home interview (100% targeted in 1991, 66% in 2002).

Results: The prevalence of wheeze during the previous year increased from 12.9% in 1991 to 17.8% in 2002 (prevalence ratio 1.39 (95% CI 1.23 to 1.56)). Increases were observed in frequent (1.54 (95% CI 1.16 to 2.03)) and infrequent attacks, severe speech limiting episodes (2.25 (95% CI 1.34 to 3.77)), and night waking (1.36 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.72)), and in the reported use of steroids (19.9% v 64.1% of currently wheezy children). Nevertheless, the proportions reporting a visit to the GP at his/her surgery for wheeze in the previous year (prevalence ratio 1.15 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.45)) or an outpatient visit (0.98 (95% CI 0.49 to 1.94)) changed little and an increase in reported casualty attendance (1.66 (95% CI 0.89 to 3.07)) was non-significant.

Conclusions: There is evidence of an increase in the prevalence of asthma among British primary school children between 1991 and 2002. The absence of a corresponding increase in health service utilisation data may reflect more widespread prophylactic treatment and/or changes in the use and provision of medical services.

Keywords: asthma; prevalence; children; medical services

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. J. Okoko, P. G. Burney, R. B. Newson, J. F. Potts, and S. O. Shaheen Childhood asthma and fruit consumption Eur. Respir. J., June 1, 2007; 29(6): 1161 - 1168. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H Ross Anderson, R. Gupta, D. P Strachan, and E. S Limb 50 years of asthma: UK trends from 1955 to 2004 Thorax, January 1, 2007; 62(1): 85 - 90. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]