Prevalence of asthma symptoms among Turkish Cypriot schoolchildren

We assessed the prevalence of symptoms suggestive of asthma in Turkish Cypriot schoolchildren and the associated risk factors using a slightly modified version of the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire. The questionnaire and questions regarding risk...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: O Kalayci, Y Saraçlar, B E Sekerel, G Adalioğlu, S Kuyucu, G Ergör, H K Bozer, A Tuncer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health 1999-10-01
Series:The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
Online Access:https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/3255
Description
Summary:We assessed the prevalence of symptoms suggestive of asthma in Turkish Cypriot schoolchildren and the associated risk factors using a slightly modified version of the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire. The questionnaire and questions regarding risk factors were issued to the parents of 2,822 children aged six to 14 years. The response rate was 89.6 percent. The cumulative and 12-month prevalence of wheezing were 14.7 and 4.8 percent, respectively. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 11.4 percent. Family history of atopy was the strongest risk factor for "ever wheezing" (odds ratio [OR] 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.52-1.92) and physician-diagnosed asthma (OR 1.71, CI 1.53-1.93). This study demonstrates that symptoms suggestive of asthma are quite common and constitute a major health problem in Northern Cyprus.
ISSN:0041-4301
2791-6421