THE IMPACT OF ASTHMA AND ASTHMA-LIKE ILLNESS IN SEATTLE SCHOOL-CHILDREN

The impact of asthma and asthma-like illness was measured in a populat ion of 5-9-year-old Seattle public school children. Child health infor mation was obtained from a survey of 1665 parents of first and second grade students to assess medical services use and impaired physical fu nctioning among diagnosed asthmatics and those with current wheezing, defined as wheezing in the past 12 months without a diagnosis of asthm a, relative to an asymptomatic population with neither condition. Rela tive to the asymptomatic population, the prevalence of respiratory-rel ated activity limitation, and perception of poorer child health was la rger among diagnosed asthmatics than children with current wheezing. H owever, the prevalence of sleep disturbances, school absences, medical services use, and parental concern over their child's health was simi lar for both the asthmatic and wheezing groups relative to the asympto matic group. Also, in both symptomatic groups, a history of moderate o r severe wheezing was associated with an increased prevalence of respi ratory-related sleep disturbances and activity limitation. The similar ity between the impact of diagnosed asthma and undiagnosed asthma like illness suggests that the overall social and economic burden of asthm a may be higher than previously estimated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science I nc.