Table 2.

Respiratory diseases

Disease and variable measured	Authors	Result
TB: incidence rate	O’Toole et al23	Higher incidence rate and younger age in Irish Travellers than white Irish-born population and general population. CIR of TB in the Traveller population was <5/100 000 population per annum from 2002 to 2009. This increased after 2010 and CIR>10/100 000 population per annum 2011–2013. From 2002 to 2013, the CIR of TB decreased in the general population (from 10.5/100 000 in 2002 to 8.3/100 000 in 2013). CIR for TB in Travellers was about threefold higher than that of white Irish-born population in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, the CIR in Travellers increased to 40.6/100 000 following an outbreak. 5-year cumulative CIR 2009–2013: Travellers: 81.4/100 000 General population: 45.5/100 000 White Irish-born population: 27.3/100 000 When All Ireland Traveller Health Study population data was used to calculate CIR rather than the Central Statistics Office Census data, the CIR was lower. Regardless of the method of data collection of CIR, the rate was still higher in Irish Travellers than the general population/white Irish-born population. Average incidence by age was higher for the Traveller population, majority in 0–34 age group, compared with the general population where the majority was in the 25–65 age group and in the white Irish-born population where the majority was in the 55–65 age group.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: number of smokers, presence of respiratory symptoms, diagnosis of asthma and spirometry	Nolan et al24	41% were current smokers, 6/14 non-smokers regularly exposed to passive smoke. 86% of smokers reported respiratory symptoms including cough, wheeze and shortness of breath. 10/35 had GP diagnosis of asthma. 23% (7/30) had an obstructive pattern.
Chronic bronchitis	All Ireland Traveller Health Study8	12% Travellers Ireland, 9.4% Travellers Northern Ireland, (background population 3%).
Asthma	All Ireland Traveller Health Study8	12.5% Travellers Ireland, 25.7% Travellers Northern Ireland, (background population 6%).

CIR, cumulative incidence ratio; GP, general practitioner; TB, tuberculosis.