PREVALENCE OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AMONG THE STUDENTS OF 3 SECONDARY-SCHOOLS IN GENOA

776 secondary school students of three scholastic areas in the residen tial districts of the centre and east of Genoa have been given a quest ionnaire concerning the most important respiratory symptoms. 97,2% of the subjects answered the questionnaire, moreover 141 of a district (V alle Sturla) have been tested RAST to find principal allergen. From th e examination of the questionnaire we could make clear that bronchial asthma referred by patient or diagnosed by physician exceeds 10,4%, th e prevalence of wheezing after effort achieves 19,3% and chronic rhini tis 16%. The symptom occur more frequently among the male students and seen to weaken in the third class of secondary school (after the age of 12). The subjects reporting asthma, wheezing or chronic rhinitis re sult sensitive at least to one allergen (65,2% asthma, 62,5% wheezing, 76,4% chronic rhinitis) prevalently represented by Dermatophagoides ( 52% asthma, 31,2 weezing, 52,9% chronic rhinitis).