Valery Patricia C, Chang Anne B, Masters Ian B, Stirling Janelle, Laifoo Yancy, Twist Aletia
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, The Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health and Nutrition, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Respirology. 2008 May;13(3):447-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2008.01239.x.
To (i) determine if the prevalence of asthma has altered in two previously studied communities and (ii) obtain baseline measures in two further communities in the Torres Strait region, Australia.
A population-based cross-sectional study of school-aged children was conducted. Five schools in four communities were selected: 361 children aged 5-17 years participated. The study used the same epidemiological tool that had been utilized to measure asthma prevalence (locally adapted International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood questionnaire).
The overall response rate was 30%; response rates in individual communities ranged from 23% to 100%. The prevalence of self-reported wheezing in the last 12 months decreased from 10.7% to 6.6% (P = 0.109) on Thursday Island and from 3.1% to zero (P = 0.358) on Warraber Island. The percentage of children with asthma symptoms was lower in this current study but changes were not statistically significant. Overall self-reported prevalence of ever wheezing was 12.5%; 5.4% reported wheezing in the previous 12 months, 5.9% reported wheezing after exercise and 12.2% reported ever having asthma. There was considerable inter-community variation in the prevalence of symptoms.
Asthma prevalence in school-aged children living in the Torres Strait region remains high but, as in mainstream Australian children, the prevalence is stable.
(i) 确定两个先前已研究过的社区中哮喘患病率是否发生了变化；(ii) 在澳大利亚托雷斯海峡地区的另外两个社区获取基线测量数据。
开展了一项基于人群的学龄儿童横断面研究。在四个社区选择了五所学校：361名5至17岁的儿童参与其中。该研究使用了曾用于测量哮喘患病率的相同流行病学工具（本地化的儿童哮喘和过敏国际研究问卷）。
总体应答率为30%；各个社区的应答率在23%至100%之间。星期四岛过去12个月自我报告的喘息患病率从10.7%降至6.6%（P = 0.109），瓦拉伯岛从3.1%降至零（P = 0.358）。本研究中出现哮喘症状的儿童比例较低，但变化无统计学意义。总体自我报告的曾经喘息患病率为12.5%；5.4%报告在过去12个月有喘息，5.9%报告运动后喘息，12.2%报告曾患哮喘。各社区症状患病率存在相当大的差异。
居住在托雷斯海峡地区的学龄儿童哮喘患病率仍然很高，但与澳大利亚主流儿童一样，患病率稳定。
