SELF-REPORTED PREVALENCE OF ASTHMA SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN IN AUSTRALIA,ENGLAND, GERMANY AND NEW-ZEALAND - AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON USING THE ISAAC PROTOCOL

There is a need for a standardized approach to international and regio nal comparisons of the prevalence and severity of asthma, and for the monitoring of asthma morbidity over time. In 1991, standardized writte n and video questionnaires were developed and administered in surveys of schoolchildren, aged 12-15 yrs, in five regions in four countries: Adelaide, Australia (n=1,428); Sydney, Australia (n=1519); West Sussex , England (n=2,097); Bochum, Germany (n=1928); and Wellington, New Zea land (n=1863). The self-reported prevalence of wheezing during the pre vious 12 months was similar in West Sussex (29% using the written ques tionnaire and 30% using the video questionnaire), Wellington (28 and 3 6%), Adelaide (29 and 37%), and Sydney (30 and 40%), but was lower in Bochum (20 and 27%). The one year prevalence of severe wheezing limiti ng speech was greater in Wellington (11%), Adelaide (10%) and Sydney ( 13%), than in West Sussex (7%) and Bochum (6%). The self-reported one year prevalences of frequent attacks, frequent nocturnal wheezing, and doctor diagnosed asthma, were also higher in the Australasian centres than in the European centres. We conclude, that an international comp arison of asthma symptom prevalence in childhood, using simple standar dized instruments, is feasible. Possible explanations for the differen ces in reported asthma severity between the Australasian and European centres include differences in exposure to risk factors and difference s in the management of asthma.