Prevalência de asma em adolescentes na cidade de Fortaleza, CE

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of asthma among adolescents (13-14 years of age) in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study involving 3,015 adolescents at public and private schools between 2006 and 2007. The participants completed the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. The prevalences of 'wheezing ever', 'wheezing within the last 12 months' (active asthma) and 'asthma ever' (physician-diagnosed asthma) were 44.1%, 22.6% and 11.6%, respectively. The prevalences of 'wheezing ever' (p = 0.001), '1-3 wheezing attacks within the last 12 months' (p = 0.001), active asthma (p = 0.002), 'sleep disturbed due to wheezing less than one night per week' (p < 0.001) and 'dry cough at night' (p < 0.001) were higher among girls. Private school students presented higher prevalences of 'wheezing ever', active asthma, '1-3 wheezing attacks within the last 12 months', '4-12 wheezing attacks within the last 12 months' and physician-diagnosed asthma (p < 0.001 for all), as well as of 'exercise-induced wheezing' (p = 0.032). The prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms in students aged 13-14 years in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil, was high, predominantly among girls and private school students. The difference between the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and that of active asthma suggests that asthma was underdiagnosed in the population studied.