Background: The prevalence of asthma shows marked variability and consequently it should be determined in different geographical areas. Standardized questionnaires are reliable for identifying and comparing the prevalences of asthma among areas. However, asthma prevalence based on the use of questionnaires alone could overestimate the true prevalence of this illness. Therefore, the use of other methods such as determination of bronchial hyperresponsiveness is useful as an adjunct to questionnaires in asthma screening and epidemiological studies.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of current asthma among schoolchildren in Majorca.
Patients and methods: A total of 608 schoolchildren aged 8-15 years in the island of Majorca were studied. Participants answered a questionnaire on symptoms and performed a free running test for measuring bronchial responsiveness.
Results: The prevalence of wheezing during the previous 12 months was 18.1% (11.5% for the group aged 12-15 years). A fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) greater than 15% after exercise testing was found in 61 children (10.5%). An association between bronchial responsiveness and the results of the written questionnaire referring to wheezing was found, but not between bronchial responsiveness and nocturnal coughing. The prevalence of "current asthma" (recent wheezing and bronchial responsiveness) was 3.4%.
Conclusion: The prevalence of current asthma in our area is lower than that reported for other Spanish areas. The use of questionnaires and a free running test can be useful in identifying children at greatest risk.