Asthma and allergic disease in children is increasing in many Western countries but such trend has not been well-defined in Chinese populations. This paper aims to determine the prevalence of asthma and allergic disease in Hong Kong schoolchildren and compare it with previous data to identify a changing trend.We studied 4,665 schoolchildren aged 13-14 yrs using the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) protocol to determine prevalence rates for asthma, wheeze, respiratory symptoms, rhinitis and eczema in 1994-1995. Additional questions on education levels of the parents and smoking status were also asked.Concordance between responses to the written and video questionnaires was good (76% for wheeze ever, 80% for current wheeze). Prevalence rates for asthma ever, wheeze ever, and current wheeze were 11, 20 and 12%, respectively, and were greater in boys (p<0.05). Rhinitis affected slightly over half of the subjects (52%), and eczema was reported by a sixth (15%), whilst current rhinitis and current eczema were present in 44% and 3.6% of children, respectively. In multiple logistic regression: odds ratio male sex (OR) 1.47; (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.15-1.86); current rhinitis (OR 3.00; 95% CI 2.36-3.81); current eczema (OR 2.34; 95% CI 1.40-3.93); and active smoking (OR 2.00; 95% CI 1.38-2.89) were associated with current wheeze; whilst severe wheezing attack was associated with: current rhinitis (OR 2.72; 95% CI 1.47-5.02); current eczema (OR 6.13; 95% CI 2.82-13.33); and active smoking (OR 4.62; 95% CI 2.43-8.76). Age, parental education and passive smoking were not important factors.When compared to previous epidemiological data obtained in 1992, the prevalence rates for asthma ever and wheeze ever had increased by 71 and 255%, respectively, in Hong Kong schoolchildren. The severity of asthma and respiratory symptoms showed a similar increasing trend. Further studies should aim to identify the role of the environment in the pathogenesis of asthma.

No abstract

Respiratory diseases can cause considerable disability in the elderly because of their limited respiratory reserve as a result of ageing. We have investigated the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases in elderly Chinese in Hong Kong and compared these data with those in elderly Caucasian populations. Two thousand and thirty two (999 male and 1,033 female) subjects, selected by age-stratified random sampling from a register of Hong Kong residents aged 70 yrs and over were interviewed to complete a respiratory questionnaire. Total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) was measured in 195 subjects. At least one respiratory symptom was reported by 56% of subjects. The most frequently reported symptoms were morning phlegm (26%), chronic cough with phlegm (10%) and wheeze in the past 12 months (8%). Of the self-reported diseases, the commonest was chronic bronchitis (7%), followed by asthma (5%), pulmonary tuberculosis (3%) and emphysema (2%). Of the 218 subjects with obstructive airway diseases, 128 (59%) had sought medical advice in the past 12 months. The most important determinants for respiratory symptoms and diseases were smoking and social class. Total serum IgE was significantly higher in current smokers than nonsmokers and also in those with chronic cough and phlegm than those without these complaints. Our study shows that respiratory ailments in Hong Kong elderly are as common as those reported in Sweden and the USA but less than those in England.