THE CHANGING PREVALENCE OF ASTHMA-LIKE RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN SOUTH-AUSTRALIAN RURAL SCHOOLCHILDREN

Objective: To describe the changing prevalence of wheezy breathing and doctor-diagnosed asthma, as obtained by questionnaire data, from the years 1984-92 in a sample of South Australian rural schoolchildren. Me thodology: A cross-sectional study of three populations of schoolchild ren from the South Australian rural towns of Burra (mid-north), Gladst one (mid-north) and Kingston (southern, coastal). The cumulative or li fetime prevalences and the 12-month period prevalence (current) of res piratory symptoms were estimated from questionnaire data obtained from parental responses for 1032 schoolchildren aged from 5 to 18 years, a nd compared with prevalences obtained from a previous study. Results: The overall cumulative prevalence of wheezy breathing in 1992 was 36.2 %, an increase from 24.1% in 1984 with a 12-month period prevalence of 25.0%. The 1992 cumulative prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was 23.3%. There was no difference in the prevalence of wheeze between the three rural regions studied. A trend to a higher prevalence of doctor -diagnosed asthma in one of the three regions was thought to be due to medical specialist input. Conclusions: The cumulative prevalence for wheeze among school-age children in South Australian rural communities has increased in the period 1984-92. There were no regional differenc es in the cumulative prevalence rates. The results confirm previous st udies in Victoria and New South Wales.