Asthma, chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms among adults in Estonia according to a postal questionnaire

• Published in: Respiratory medicine Vol. 95; no. 12; pp. 954 - 964
• Main Authors: MEREN, M., JANNUS-PRULJAN, L., LOIT, H.-M., PÕLLUSTE, J., JÖNSSON, E., KIVILOOG, J., LUNDBÄCK, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchitis - epidemiology; chronic bronchitis; Chronic Disease; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Cough - epidemiology; epidemiology; Estonia - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Pneumology; postal questionnaire; Prevalence; Respiratory Sounds - etiology; respiratory symptoms; Smoking - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tobacco Smoke Pollution; Eastern Europe; Europe; Estonia; epidemiology; postal questionnaire; respiratory symptoms; asthma; chronic bronchitis; Human; Questionnaire; Respiratory disease; Exploration; Postal service; Epidemiology; Asthma; Symptomatology; Chronic; Bronchus disease; Adult; Bronchitis; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Public health
• ISSN: 0954-6111; 1532-3064
• DOI: 10.1053/rmed.2001.1188

Epidemiological studies indicate a lower prevalence of asthma in Eastern than Western Europe. This study of the prevalence of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and respiratory symptoms was performed in three different regions of Estonia, a state incorporated in the Soviet Union until 1991. A postal questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 24307 of the population aged 15–64 years. The response rate was 77·6%. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 2·0% or considerably lower than in Northern and Western European countries. The prevalence of wheezing last 12 months, 21·7%, recurrent wheeze, 13·3%, and attacks of shortness of breath, 12·5%, were similar or even higher compared with prevalence rates found in the Nordic countries. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis was 10·7%, and was higher among women than in men, although the proportion of current smokers among men, 57%, was considerably greater than in women, 28%. A possible explanation to the high prevalence of respiratory symptoms also among non-smoking women may be exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in small, crowded Estonian homes. Diagnostic criteria based on the Soviet-time definitions is discussed as a possible explanation to the low prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and high prevalence of chronic bronchitis in Estonia compared with other Northern European countries.