THE PREVALENCE OF ASTHMA AND OTHER ALLERGIC DISEASES IN A PROVINCE OFTURKEY

To document the prevalence of asthma and other allergic disorders amon g children, a questionnaire study involving 3,118 children aged six to 14 years was done. The overall prevalence of allergic diseases was 27 .4 percent and the prevalence of each disorder was as follows: rhiniti s 11 percent, asthma 10.2 percent, conjunctivitis 7.1 percent, and ski n diseases 6.3 percent. Atopic diseases were reported most commonly am ong the families of children with allergic rhinitis. When compared wit h Internal regions of Turkey, the prevalence of allergic diseases was found to be very high It was concluded that allergic diseases are an i mportant health problem among children in our region.