[The European Asthma Study. The prevalence of asthma-related symptoms in 5 Spanish areas. The Spanish Group of the European Asthma Study].

BACKGROUND

The European Study of Asthma was designed to study the variability of the prevalence of asthma in Europe. The aim of the present paper was to report the results obtained on the participation and prevalence of symptoms related to asthma in 5 Spanish areas: Albacete, Barcelona, Galdakao, Huelva and Oviedo.

METHODS

A sample population of 16,884 individuals between 20-44 years of age was studied with a questionnaire adapted from the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

RESULTS

Response was obtained from 14,269 (84.5%) individuals. The frequency of symptoms related to asthma over the last year varied widely from area to area. Night attacks of shortness of breath varied from 3.6% to 11.6%; asthma attacks from 1.4% to 3.4%; medication for asthma from 1.2 to 5.6%. The global frequency of these symptoms in men and women respectively was 4.9% and 5.0% in Galdakao, 6.3% and 6.6% in Barcelona, 9.4% and 9.3% in Oviedo, 10.7% and 9.1% in Albacete and 14.3% and 14.9% in Huelva. With regard to the remaining symptoms, night attacks of coughing and wheezing were of note because of their high prevalence ranging, according to areas, from 24.6% and 36.0% and 13.3% and 33.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first providing population data on the prevalence of symptoms related to asthma in adults in Spain. The global prevalence of symptoms varied from 4.9% to 14.3% in men and 5.0% to 14.9% in women. Although posterior analysis based on atopy data and bronchial hyperreactivity will allow better interpretation of these prevalence rates, they suggest that asthma is a frequent disease in individuals from 20 to 44 years of age in Spain.