Isoaho R, Puolijoki H, Huhti E, Kivelä S L, Tala E
Department of Public Health Science and General Practice, University of Oulu, Finland.
J Clin Epidemiol. 1994 Oct;47(10):1109-18. doi: 10.1016/0895-4356(94)90097-3.
There is uncertainty about the prevalence of asthma even in countries in which extensive epidemiological surveys have been carried out and attention has been drawn to a probable increase in prevalence. A cross-sectional epidemiological survey of asthma in the population aged 64 years or over was carried out in the rural district of Lieto, Finland. All 1196 participants (488 men and 708 women, 93% of those eligible) were examined and individually assessed using a set of criteria for asthma. The prevalence of current asthma was 2.9% in the men and 3.8% in the women and it accounted for about 40% of the cumulative (life-time) prevalence of self-reported asthma. Current asthma was uncommon in men aged 75 years or over and no cases were found in men who smoked. Current asthma in women was associated with low social status, smoking and dusty working conditions in the past. The difference in prevalence between the men and women was greatest among the smokers, which may be due to a previous high mortality among elderly asthmatic men who had been smoking, or a lack of the typical characteristics of asthma in men with long histories of smoking. The prevalence of asthma was similar to that obtained earlier in Finland and elsewhere.
即使在那些已经开展了广泛流行病学调查并关注到哮喘患病率可能上升的国家，哮喘的实际患病率仍存在不确定性。芬兰列托农村地区对64岁及以上人群进行了一项哮喘横断面流行病学调查。对所有1196名参与者（488名男性和708名女性，占符合条件者的93%）进行了检查，并使用一套哮喘标准进行个体评估。当前哮喘的患病率男性为2.9%，女性为3.8%，约占自我报告哮喘累积（终生）患病率的40%。75岁及以上男性中当前哮喘并不常见，吸烟男性中未发现病例。女性当前哮喘与社会地位低、吸烟以及过去从事多尘工作环境有关。男性和女性之间的患病率差异在吸烟者中最为明显，这可能是由于过去吸烟的老年哮喘男性死亡率较高，或者是长期吸烟男性缺乏哮喘的典型特征。哮喘患病率与芬兰及其他地方早期获得的结果相似。
