ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES AMONG CHILDREN IN WEST AND EAST-GERMANY - A COMPARISON BETWEEN MUNSTER AND GREIFSWALD USING THE ISAAC PHASE-I PROTOCOL

The study aim was to compare the prevalence of asthma, rhinitis and ec zema in children living in Munster, western Germany, and Greifswald, e astern Germany many, and to investigate associations of several charac teristics and exposures with atopic disease symptoms, In 1994 and 1995 , questionnaire information was gathered on 5-8 yr old children (n=3,7 41 in Munster and n=2,857 in Greifswald) and 12-15 yr olds (n=4,003 an d n=3,153, respectively) using the phase I protocol of the Internation al Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The 12 month pe riod prevalences of reported atopic disease symptoms in 5-8 yr olds me re generally higher in Munster than in Greifswald, whereas only a few prevalence differences were observed in 12-15 yr olds,In both ape grou ps the reported lifetime prevalences of asthma, hay fever and eczema w ere lower in Greifswald. Indoor exposures such as wood or coal heating and feather bedding were negatively associated with symptoms, whereas exposures such as truck traffic in a residential street or active smo king were positively associated with symptoms. Wood or coal heating co uld partly explain the prevalence difference of allergic rhinitis symp toms among 5-8 gr olds between Munster and Greifswald. The findings pr ovide additional evidence for a role of several characteristics and ex posures as potential determinants of asthma and allergies in children.