Epidemiological study of wheeze, doctor diagnosed asthma, and cough in preschool children in Leicestershire

• Published in: BMJ Vol. 306; no. 6889; pp. 1386 - 1390
• Main Authors: Luyt, D K, Burton, P R, Simpson, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London British Medical Journal Publishing Group 22.05.1993; British Medical Association; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Edition: International edition
• Subjects: Age Factors; Age groups; Asthma; Asthma - diagnosis; Asthma - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Child, Preschool; Childhood; Children; Children & youth; Cough; Cough - epidemiology; England - epidemiology; Female; General Practice; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Medical research; Medical sciences; Pneumology; Preschool children; Prevalence; Questionnaires; Recurrence; Respiratory Sounds; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; School age children; Sex Factors; Symptoms; Wheezing; England; Human; Respiratory disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Medical screening; Child; Epidemiology; Cough; Asthma
• ISSN: 0959-8138; 0959-8146; 1468-5833; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.306.6889.1386

OBJECTIVE--To determine the cumulative prevalences of wheeze and doctor diagnosed asthma and the point prevalences of recurrent cough and wheeze in children aged 5 years and under. DESIGN--Questionnaire survey of population based random sample of children registered on regional authority's child health index for immunisation; questionnaire completed by parents. SETTING--Leicestershire. SUBJECTS--1650 white children born in 1985-9 who were surveyed in 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Cumulative prevalences of wheeze and doctor diagnosed asthma and point prevalences of recurrent cough and wheeze by age and sex. RESULTS--There were 1422 replies (86.2%; 726 for boys, 696 for girls). Overall, 11.0% (95% confidence interval 9.4% to 12.6%) of children had formally been diagnosed as having asthma, the cumulative prevalence in boys (12.7%) being somewhat higher than in girls (9.2%) (age adjusted odds ratio 1.47, p = 0.03). As expected, the cumulative prevalence of asthma increased significantly with age (7.5% (13/173) in children under 1 year, 15.9% (61/383) in children of 4 years and over; p < 0.001). The cumulative prevalence of wheeze overall was 15.6% (13.7% to 17.5%), being higher in boys (17.6%) than in girls (13.5%) (odds ratio 1.38, p = 0.03). The overall prevalence of recurrent cough without colds was 21.8% (19.6% to 23.9%), with a non-significant excess in boys (23.1% v 20.4%). The overall prevalence of wheezing attacks during the previous 12 months was 13.0% (11.3% to 14.8%) with a non-significant excess in boys (14.5% v 11.5%). CONCLUSIONS--These findings are baseline results and emphasise the importance of studying the age group of interest rather than relying on the recall of parents of school age children.