Prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases in school children in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

Objective.To assess the prevalence and severity of asthma and allergic diseases in schoolchildren residing in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1998 to May 1999, among 6 174 children from 53 schools in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. The method used was the one recommended by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) to determine the prevalence and severity of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema. Parents were asked to answer a standardized questionnaire on current and cumulative prevalence of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema. A sample stratified by level of pollution was selected. Results. The cumulative prevalence of medically diagnosed asthma and wheezing was 6.8% (95% Cl 6.2, 7.4) and 20% (95% Cl 19.7, 21.8), respectively. The prevalence of wheezing in the last 12 months was higher in the group aged 6-8 years than in those aged 11-14 years (9.7% vs. 5.8 %, p <0.01).The prevalence of medically diagnosed rhinitis was 5.0 % (95% Cl 4.5,5.6). The prevalence of medically diagnosed eczema was 4.9% (4.3, 5.4). The prevalence of eczema symptoms in the last 12 months was 12.7% in the 6-8 years group and 13.3% in the 11-14 year group, respectively. Severe symptoms of asthma were significantly higher in the 6-8 years group and during the autumn months. Conclusions. The prevalence of medically diagnosed and symptomatic asthma was relatively low in comparison with findings from others studies that use similar methods, but the prevalence rates of rhinitis and eczema were higher.