Effect of degree of urbanisation on age and sex-specific asthmaprevalence in Swedish preschool children

• Background: There are few studies on age and sex-specific asthma   prevalence in the age range 1-6 years. The purpose of this report was   to estimate age and sex specific asthma prevalence in preschool   children and to analyse the influence of possible demographic and   geographic determinants.   Methods: All 70 allergen avoidance day-care centres and 140 matched   ordinary day-care centres across Sweden were sampled. The parents of   all 8,757 children attending these day-care centres received the   International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)   written questionnaire, supplemented with questions on medical   treatment, physician assessed asthma diagnosis, and other asthma   related questions. The response rate was 68%.   Results: The age specific asthma prevalence, adjusted for the   underlying municipality population size, was among boys 9.7% at age 1,   11.1% at age 2, 11.4 at age 3, 10.5 at age 4, 8.7 at age 5, and 6.4 at   age 6. The corresponding proportions among girls were 8.9%, 9.9%, 9.8%,   8.8%, 7.0%, and 5.0%, on average 9.6% for boys and 8.2% for girls,   altogether 8.9%. In addition to age and sex the prevalence increased by   municipality population density, a proxy for degree of urbanisation.   Moreover, there was a remaining weak geographical gradient with   increasing prevalence towards the north and the west.   Conclusion: The age-specific asthma prevalence was curvilinear with a   peak around age 3 and somewhat higher for boys than for girls. The   asthma prevalence increased in a slowly accelerating pace by   municipality population density as a proxy for degree of urbanisation.

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MEDICIN

Allmänmedicin

Family Medicine

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