Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, ICVS, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Portugal and Horizonte Family Health Unit, Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal.
BMC Public Health. 2011 May 19;11:347. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-347.
The prevalence and incidence of asthma are believed to be increasing but research on the true incidence, prevalence and mortality from asthma has met methodological obstacles since it has been difficult to define and diagnose asthma in epidemiological terms. New and widely accepted diagnostic criteria for asthma present opportunities for progress in this field. Studies conducted in Portugal have estimated the disease prevalence between 3% and 15%. Available epidemiological data present a significant variability due to methodological obstacles.
To estimate the true prevalence of asthma by gender and age groups in the population of the area covered by one urban Health Centre in Portugal.
An observational study was conducted between February and July 2009 at the Horizonte Family Health Unit in Matosinhos, Portugal. A random sample of 590 patients, stratified by age and gender was obtained from the practice database of registered patients. Data was collected using a patient questionnaire based on respiratory symptoms and the physician's best knowledge of the patient's asthma status. The prevalence of asthma was calculated by age and gender.
Data were obtained from 576 patients (97.6% response rate). The mean age for patients with asthma was 27.0 years (95% CI: 20.95 to 33.16). This was lower than the mean age for non-asthmatics but the difference was not statistically significant. Asthma was diagnosed in 59 persons giving a prevalence of 10.24% (95% CI: 8.16 to 12.32). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of asthma by gender.
The prevalence of asthma found in the present study was higher than that found in some studies, though lower than that found in other studies. Further studies in other regions of Portugal are required to confirm these findings.
据信，哮喘的患病率和发病率正在上升，但由于难以在流行病学方面定义和诊断哮喘，因此针对哮喘的真实发病率、患病率和死亡率的研究遇到了方法学障碍。新的、广泛接受的哮喘诊断标准为该领域的进展提供了机会。葡萄牙进行的研究估计该疾病的患病率在 3%至 15%之间。由于方法学障碍，现有的流行病学数据存在显著的变异性。
估计葡萄牙一个城市卫生中心所覆盖地区人群中哮喘的真实患病率，按性别和年龄组进行分析。
2009 年 2 月至 7 月，在葡萄牙马托西纽什的 Horizonte 家庭健康单位进行了一项观察性研究。从注册患者的实践数据库中按年龄和性别分层抽取了 590 名患者的随机样本。使用基于呼吸症状和医生对患者哮喘状况的最佳了解的患者问卷收集数据。按年龄和性别计算哮喘的患病率。
从 576 名患者（97.6%的应答率）中获得了数据。哮喘患者的平均年龄为 27.0 岁（95%置信区间：20.95 至 33.16）。这低于非哮喘患者的平均年龄，但差异无统计学意义。诊断出 59 例哮喘患者，患病率为 10.24%（95%置信区间：8.16 至 12.32）。男女哮喘患病率无统计学差异。
本研究发现的哮喘患病率高于某些研究，但低于其他研究。需要在葡萄牙其他地区进行进一步研究，以证实这些发现。
