Abstract
The prevalence of asthma was studied in 6731 adolescents (average age 13.5 years, 48.6% boys) attending school in three towns of the isle of Tahiti, according to the ethnic origin of both parents. The pupils completed a self-administered questionnaire in class; 14.3% gave an affirmative answer to the question "Have you ever had attacks of asthma?" (cumulative prevalence). That prevalence was 11.4% in the Europeans, 13.7% in the Chinese, 13.8% in the Polynesians, 15.3% in those whose parents were "halves" (half-bred from Polynesians and Europeans), and 16.0% in the miscellaneous group (= other origins) (P less than 0.02). Asthma was significantly more frequent in boys only among the Europeans and those with one European parent. The results of this study confirm the high prevalence of asthma in French Polynesia found in a previous study. They give no evidence of a racial difference in prevalence but suggest an influence of environment.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Burghard G., Perdrizet S., Cooreman J., Metz-Marcy G., Welsch M. Evaluation de la fréquence de l'asthme chez les adolescents scolarisés du Bas-Rhin. Rev Fr Mal Respir. 1979 Mar-Apr;7(2):175–180. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cooreman J., Neukirch F., Redon S. Asthme et antécédents respiratoires de l'enfant. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 1984;32(6):414–416. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Menger W. Statistische Ergebnisse bei 12,246 Kindern mit Asthma bronchiale und Neurodermitis constitutionalis (Geschlechtsverhältnis, Krankheitsbeginn und Infekt--Sinusitis maxillaris) Monatsschr Kinderheilkd. 1971 Jun;119(6):223–228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Peat J. K., Woolcock A. J., Leeder S. R., Blackburn C. R. Asthma and bronchitis in Sydney school children. I. Prevalence during a six-year study. Am J Epidemiol. 1980 Jun;111(6):721–727. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112950. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Perdrizet S., Strauss O., Leproux P., Chansin R. Prévalence et étiologie des symptômes et affections respiratoires chez les adolescents scolarisés de Polynésie française. Rev Fr Mal Respir. 1982;10(2):143–149. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smith J. M., Harding L. K., Cumming G. The changing prevalence of asthma in school children. Clin Allergy. 1971 Mar;1(1):57–61. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1971.tb02447.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]