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1 Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, 2 School Health Service, Grabs, 3 School Health Service, Zurich, 4 Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, 5 Paediatric Pulmonology, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, 6 Allergy Clinic, Paediatric University Hospital, Geneva, and 7 Allergy Unit, Dept of Dermatology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
CORRESPONDENCE: C. Braun-Fahrländer, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Basel, Steinengraben 49, CH-4051, Basel, Switzerland. Fax: 41 612702225. E-mail: C.Braun@unibas.ch
Keywords: allergy, asthma, children, time-trend
Received: June 30, 2003
Accepted September 28, 2003
The study was supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant 4026-033109), the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, the Swiss Federal Office of the Environment, the Lung Association of Zurich and St. Gallen, and the cantonal health services of Zurich, St. Gallen, Valais, Vaud, Geneva and Bern.
Prevalence rates of childhood asthma and allergy have been on the increase for several decades. The present study investigated whether this trend continued during the 1990s in adolescents living in Switzerland.
Between 1992 and 2000, the change in prevalence of specific immunoglobulin E to aeroallergens, asthma symptoms and hay fever symptoms assessed by parents' and students' answers to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questions was investigated using three cross-sectional surveys. In total 1,324 (74.9%), 1,668 (80.6%) and 1,250 (73.9%) adolescents participated.
Prevalence rates of asthma and current asthmatic symptoms remained constant, irrespective of whether the assessment was based on parental questionnaires or the student's self-completed written or video questionnaires (students' report of current wheeze 8.8, 7.3, and 8.3%). Similarly, no further increase was observed for reported hay fever rates and allergic sensitisation rates (positive multiscreen allergy test, SX1-test: 34.6, 38.9, and 35.6%, respectively). Although time trends in the occurrence of a series of known risk factors were recorded, none of these factors had a significant impact on asthma and allergy prevalence over time.
No further increase in asthma and allergy rates occurred during the 1990s in adolescents living in Switzerland. However, to adequately assess the trend a longer period of observation is needed.
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