Stephen George A, McRill Cheryl, Mack Maura D, O'Rourke Mary Kay, Flood Timothy J, Lebowitz Michael D
Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85723, USA.
Arch Environ Health. 2003 Mar;58(3):156-62. doi: 10.3200/AEOH.58.3.156-162.
The authors studied children who were 10-12 yr of age and who resided in sister cities in a U.S.-Mexico border region to determine the prevalence of asthma and respiratory symptoms. The relationship of symptoms to ambient levels of particulate matter less than 10 microm in diameter (PM10), and to several indoor environmental conditions, was assessed. The study was conducted in the border cities of Ambos Nogales (Nogales, Arizona [United States], and Nogales, Sonora [Mexico]). At the beginning of the 11-wk study, during the autumn of 1996, 631 students and their parents completed baseline questionnaires. While in school, the children completed daily symptom diaries and daily peak expiratory flow maneuvers. PM10 values and daily temperatures were also measured. The authors found that the prevalence of self-reported asthma among 5th-grade students was comparable on both sides of the border (i.e., 7.6% on the Arizona side and 6.9% on the Sonora side). Wheezing was a frequent complaint (29.5-35.6%), as was cough (16.8-29.6%). Smoking in the home was common on both sides of the border, and it was associated with a greater occurrence of self-reported asthma and respiratory complaints. Increased respiratory symptoms were also associated with increased ambient PM10 levels. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and frequent cough among all children in this study, combined with the limitations inherent in self-reporting, suggest that asthma may actually be more prevalent than has been previously reported.
作者对年龄在10至12岁、居住在美国-墨西哥边境地区友好城市的儿童进行了研究，以确定哮喘和呼吸道症状的患病率。评估了症状与直径小于10微米的颗粒物（PM10）的环境水平以及几种室内环境条件之间的关系。该研究在边境城市安博斯·诺加莱斯（美国亚利桑那州的诺加莱斯和墨西哥索诺拉州的诺加莱斯）进行。在1996年秋季为期11周的研究开始时，631名学生及其家长完成了基线调查问卷。在学校期间，孩子们完成每日症状日记和每日呼气峰值流量测量。还测量了PM10值和每日气温。作者发现，五年级学生中自我报告的哮喘患病率在边境两侧相当（即亚利桑那州一侧为7.6%，索诺拉州一侧为6.9%）。喘息是常见的症状（29.5 - 35.6%），咳嗽也是如此（16.8 - 29.6%）。边境两侧家庭中吸烟都很普遍，且与自我报告的哮喘和呼吸道症状的更多发生有关。呼吸道症状增加也与环境PM10水平升高有关。本研究中所有儿童喘息和频繁咳嗽等呼吸道症状的患病率，加上自我报告固有的局限性，表明哮喘的实际患病率可能比先前报告的更高。
