Respiratory symptoms and asthma in two farming populations: a comparison of Hutterite and non-Hutterite children.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of asthma and respiratory symptoms in a farming population of Hutterite and non-Hutterite children.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A population of 830 school-age, farm-dwelling children in rural Saskatchewan that included 83 children residing in Hutterite farming colonies.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey questionnaire was sent to parents of children attending grades 1 to 5 in schools within a grain-growing and mixed-farming region of central Saskatchewan. The questionnaire was used to identify respiratory symptoms, environmental and host characteristics, and reported doctor-diagnosed asthma.

RESULTS

The prevalence of asthma in Hutterite children was 2.4% compared with 9.2% in non-Hutterite children. While Hutterite children did not differ from their farming counterparts with regard to the frequency of reported respiratory allergies, they were less likely to be exposed to cigarette smoke and to participate in farm-related activities. In the multivariate analysis, being Hutterite continued to be protective for asthma (odds ratio 0.21; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.89).

CONCLUSION

The observed lower rate of asthma in Hutterite children than in non-Hutterite children may be related to both genetic factors and differences in farming and household factors between the two groups. Key Words: Asthma; Children; Farming; Hutterite