Time trends in the prevalence of asthma and allergy among 6-7-year-old children. Results from ISAAC phase I and III studies in Kaunas, Lithuania.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the changes in the prevalence of asthma and allergy in 6-7-year-old schoolchildren in Kaunas, Lithuania, using the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) core questionnaire.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two cross-sectional surveys (1994/1995-2001/2002) according to the ISAAC protocol were carried out. Lithuanian version of the ISAAC core questionnaire was completed by parents randomly selected from Kaunas primary schools. A school-based sample of 1879 participants in the 1994/1995 survey and 2772 participants in the 2001/2002 survey was study population.

RESULTS: The response rates in 1994 and 2002 were 93.95% and 92.4%, respectively. There is a tendency towards an increase in the prevalence of current symptoms and diagnoses for all three conditions, but it was more pronounced in boys. Significant increases in the prevalence of asthma (0.9% vs 2.6%), allergic rhinitis (1.4% vs 2.4%), and atopic dermatitis (1.4% vs 3.5%) were observed comparing two surveys. Still a lot of allergic diseases remain undiagnosed.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis is increasing, reflecting the changes in morbidity from these conditions in our country.