Epidemiology of bronchial asthma and chronic rhinitis in schoolchildren ofdifferent ethnic origins from two neighboring towns in Israel

Allergic diseases have increased significantly in developed countries for r easons yet to be determined. We studied the epidemiology of bronchial asthm a (B.A.) and chronic rhinitis (Ch.R.) among Israeli school children from tw o neighboring towns, one Jewish (Zichron Yaakov, school population = 585) a nd the other Arab (Paradis, school population = 658). The children (age ran ge 8-17 years, 567 males, 676 females) shared the same climate and had simi lar demographic characteristics. They received similar medical care and had the same rates of hospitalization and emergency room visits. The Jewish children had a higher prevalence of B.A. (13.7% vs, 9.4%), Ch.R. (19.7% vs. 9.7%), and stuffy nose (31% vs. 14%) than their Arab counterpar ts. In addition to ethnicity, parental smoking habits were the major differ entiating factor between the two groups: 20% of the mothers and 29% of the fathers from Zichron Yaakov and 2% of the mothers and 60% of the fathers fr om Paradis were smokers. Smoking fathers increased the rate of B.A. in both towns as well as emergency room visits, but not the rate of Ch.R. or stuff y nose. A familial history of B.A. was the main determinant for having chil dhood asthma or chronic rhinitis. We conclude that in addition to family history and ethnicity, smoking among mothers was the major contributing factor for the higher prevalence of ato pic diseases among Jewish schoolchildren compared to their Arab counterpart s. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.