ISAAC‐based asthma and atopic symptoms among Ha Noi school children

Abstract

Childhood asthma and atopy prevalence patterns in the developing world are only beginning to be defined. No such information exists for Vietnam. Estimates would assist in anticipating health service needs as well as add to the growing database on global patterns of atopy. To estimate the prevalence of atopic symptoms in school children in Ha Noi, Vietnam, a cross-sectional survey was conducted of children aged 5- to 11-years-old in two schools using the parent self-administered International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. The response rate was 66.4% (969 responses). The overall prevalence of selected symptoms were: 'ever wheezed' 24.9%, 'wheezed in past 12 months' 14.9%, 'ever had asthma' 12.1%, 'doctor-diagnosed asthma' 13.9%, 'ever experienced allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms' 34.9%, 'AR-conjunctivitis symptoms in past 12 months' 10.7%, 'ever had hay fever' 7.8%, 'doctor-diagnosed hay fever' 11.2%, 'ever had eczema' 3.3% and 'doctor-diagnosed eczema' 3.2%. Kappa statistics demonstrated high within symptom category consistency for 'ever had asthma/doctor-diagnosed asthma' (0.728) and 'ever had eczema/doctor-diagnosed eczema' (0.906). Age and gender adjusted odds ratios (OR) were also consistently significant across wheeze and allergic rhinitis symptom categories [highest OR = 10.10 (95% CI 6.23-16.35) between allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and wheeze in past 12 months]. There is a high prevalence of ISAAC-based symptoms in school children in Ha Noi, Vietnam, often above global averages. The high level of association between atopic symptoms suggests some degree of reliability and validity. Childhood atopy symptom prevalence in Vietnam is more similar to that in developed countries rather than developing countries.

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008*

“…A considerable difference between the prevalence of symptoms and the prevalence of medical diagnosis detected in underserved populations may suggest a significant proportion of underdiagnosis, which might be related to a lack of awareness and limited access to health care (903,1905). In other developing countries like Vietnam (1906), Nigeria (921), Bangladesh (1907) or Brazil (1908), childhood atopy symptom prevalence and links between rhinitis and asthma are similar to those in developed countries.…”

Allergic rhinitis in northern vietnam: increased risk of urban living according to a large population survey

“…Chronic rhinitis is even more sparsely studied, and there are no data from adults in south-east Asia including Vietnam about nasal congestion or chronic rhinitis. Among children in Thailand more than 40% had rhinitis according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) study protocol [15], while it was 11% among children in Hanoi, Vietnam [16]. …”

Clinically diagnosed childhood asthma and follow-up of symptoms in a Swedish case control study

“…Large research efforts have therefore been directed to it, and especially the multinational International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) [4] has only in the last few years provided a wealth of additional data, e.g., on prevalence [5-12] and symptoms [8,13,14], which further document the worsening of the situation [15] in spite of increasing community awareness and number of children receiving inhaled steroids[11] and other treatment.…”