Abstract
To compare the evolution of asthma indicators in the editions of the National School Health Survey (PeNSE 2012 and 2015). Cross-sectional study including Brazilian 9th grade students from public and private schools. Wheezing was assessed through the question: "In the past 12 months, did you have wheezing (or chirping) chest? (yes/no)", and to assess lifetime presence of asthma, the question was "Have you ever had asthma? (yes/no)". Of the students, 23,52% reported wheezing or chirping chest in the past 12 months, with prevalences ranging from 16,80% (in Salvador, Bahia) to 27,43% (in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul). Lifetime presence of asthma was reported by 17,92% of the students, ranging from 13,98% (in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul) to 30,35% (in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul). There was also a decrease in the prevalence of self-report of wheezing/chirping chest in the last 12 months between the two editions of the survey (2012/2015) in 20 of the 27 Brazilian state capitals, especially in Belo Horizonte, Florianópolis, Cuiabá and Goiânia. However, prevalence of lifetime diagnostic of asthma increased from 2012 to 2015 in 26 of the 27 Brazilian state capitals. There was a decrease in the prevalence of self-report of asthma symptoms and an increase of self-reported lifetime presence of asthma. Certainly, monitoring indicators of asthma prevalence is of high importance for health knowledge and the development of public policies.
Highlights
Asthma is considered one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, affecting about 235 million people[1]
It is important to point out that only 5 centers participated in the two phases of ISAAC, and there was a reduction in the prevalence of asthma symptoms in adolescents (27.7 versus 19.9%; p < 0 .01)[7]
When the school samples were analyzed separately according to their nature, 24.06% (95%CI 23.31 – 24.81) with asthma symptoms were observed among students in the public school system and 22.06% (95%CI 20.90 – 23.22) of the private network
Summary
Asthma is considered one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, affecting about 235 million people[1]. Health actions have prioritized improvement in the diagnosis and management of asthma, resulting in a 42% reduction in mortality from this disease between 1990 and 20132. Despite this reduction in deaths, there is generally no evidence of a decline in the burden of asthma morbidity, but, on the contrary, the prevalence of asthma continues to increase, with a possible increase of more than 100 million cases of asthma until 20253. The average prevalence of active asthma among Brazilian adolescents is close to 20%8
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