Asthma and allergy in Russian and Norwegian schoolchildren: results from two questionnaire-based studies in the Kola Peninsula, Russia, and northern Norway

Background: Previous studies have shown that the prevalence of asthma and allergy in children is lower in Eastern than Western Europe. Methods: We have compared the prevalence of asthma, respiratory symptoms, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis in schoolchildren aged 7-13 years in a questionnaire-based study conducted in the city of Nikel on the Kola Peninsula, Russia, in 1994 (n = 1143) and another conducted in northern Norway in 1995 (n = 8676). Results: The prevalence of diagnosed asthma was 5.1% in Russian children and 8.6% in Norwegian children; RR=0.58 (95% CI: 0.44-0.76). The prevalence of all respiratory symptoms was higher in Russian children. The prevalence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis was 16.9% in Russian children and 22.1% in Norwegian children: RR=0.74 (95% CI: 0.65-0.85). The prevalence of atopic dermatitis was 7.4% in Russian children and 19.7% in Norwegian children; RR=0.38 (95% CI: 0.31-0.46). Conclusions: We conclude that the prevalence of diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis was higher in Norwegian than Russian schoolchildren. The higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms in Russian children probably reflects a higher prevalence of undiagnosed, nonallergic asthma.