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- Lundbäck, Bo, et al.
(författare)
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An interview study to estimate prevalence of asthma and chronic bronchitis : The obstructive lung disease in northern Sweden study
- 1993
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Ingår i: European Journal of Epidemiology. - 0393-2990 .- 1573-7284. ; 9:2, s. 123-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A questionnaire of respiratory symptoms and diseases completed by 6610 adults in 3 age cohorts (35-36 y; 50-51 y and 65-66 y) in northern Sweden was followed-up by interview and lung function testing of 1243 subjects with asthmatic or bronchitic symptoms and 263 subjects assessed from the postal questionnaire as being healthy. We report the results of this follow-up study. According to the criteria used, 292 subjects (5.1% of the original study sample) were diagnosed as having asthma. Out of the 1243 subjects 334 (5.9% of the original study population) were diagnosed as having chronic bronchitis. However, examination of the 263 subjects who were healthy according to the postal questionnaire showed that elderly smokers, in particular, under-reported bronchitic symptoms; taking this into account, the prevalence of chronic bronchitis is estimated to be of the order of 9%. Diagnostic difficulties were noted in 70 subjects (corresponding to 1.2% of the original study sample) in whom asthma or chronic bronchitis were strongly suspected. Further investigation of these subjects was considered necessary. In this cross-sectional study, FEV1 < 80% of predicted values was found in 36% of subjects diagnosed as having asthma and in 31% of those with chronic bronchitis. Among subjects with attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, diagnostic criteria often used for asthma in questionnaire studies, 70% were diagnosed as having asthma. Of those with chronic productive cough, 62% were diagnosed as having chronic bronchitis. We consider that trained nurses provide reliable data that may be used in epidemiological surveys of obstructive lung diseases
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| 2. |
- Lundbäck, Bo, et al.
(författare)
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Epidemiology of respiratory symptoms, lung function and important determinants : Report from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden project
- 1994
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Ingår i: Tubercle and Lung Disease. - 0962-8479 .- 1532-219X. ; 75:2, s. 116-126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- SETTING: Cross-sectional epidemiological study based on a representative sample of the general population in northern Sweden. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, the role of respiratory symptoms as indicators of impairment of lung function, and to define risk factors for respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment. DESIGN: The 1340 subjects of 6610 who reported respiratory symptoms suggestive of asthma or chronic bronchitis in a postal questionnaire study were invited to a structured interview and lung function tests. A control group of 315 subjects was also invited. Risk factors were assessed from the postal questionnaire. RESULTS: 400 subjects in the symptomatic group had attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, while none in the control group had them, corresponding to 7% of the original study population. Chronic productive cough was present in 537 subjects, of whom 13 were from the control group, suggesting that 12% of the original study population had this symptom. Persistent wheeze was the symptom that predicted the greatest proportion of cases of impaired lung function. Attacks of breathlessness, wheezing, long-standing cough and sputum production were all related to age, smoking and a family history of asthma. Both chronic productive cough and impaired lung function correlated strongly with smoking and age, and their prevalences differed in different socio-economic groups. CONCLUSION: Impaired lung function can be predicted from respiratory symptoms. Data collected in postal questionnaires suffice for the identification of risk factors. Combinations of symptoms gave greater odds ratios than individual symptoms.
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