Table 7

Exercise induced bronchospasm (EIB) in African children

ReferenceCountryRegion or groupnAge range (in years)PrevEIB definitionLung function index
van Niekerk (1979)8 S AfricaUrban6956–9 3.17%15% fall in PEFR or FEV1 after 6 min running exercisePEFR and FEV1 before and at 3 and 5 minutes after exercise
Rural671 0.14%
Terblanche (1990)17 S AfricaWhite (urban)6986–20 5.87%10% fall in FEV1 after 6 min running exerciseFEV1before and at 10 minutes after exercise
Coloured (urban)694 4.05%
Keeley (1991)9 ZimbabweUrban high SES7267–9 5.8%15% fall in PEFR after 6 min running exercise or 15% increase in PEFR after bronchodilatorPEFR before and at 5 and 10 minutes after exercise
Urban low SES642 3.1%
Rural687 0.1%
Ng’ang’a (1992)12 KenyaUrban4089–1210.5%15% fall in FEV1 after 6 min running exerciseFEV1 before and at 5 and 10 minutes after exercise
21.3%10% fall in FEV1 after 6 min running exercise
Addo Yobo (1997)10 GhanaUrban rich5999–16 4.7%12.5% fall in PEFR after 6 min running exercisePEFR at baseline, 5 and 8 minutes after exercise
Urban poor220 2.2%
Rural270 2.7%
Present studyKenyaUrban middle class3318–1210.3%15% fall in FEV1 after 6 min running exerciseFEV1at baseline, 5 and 10 minutes after exercise
Urban poor242 9.1%
Rural plantation7-150 14012.9%
Rural peasant339 3.2%
Present studyKenyaUrban middle class331As above22.1%10% fall in FEV1 after 6 min running exerciseAs above
Urban poor24224.0%
Rural plantation7-150 14021.4%
Rural peasant339 9.7%

  • SES = socioeconomic status; FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in one second; PEFR = peak expiratory flow rate.

  • ↵7-150 Two schools within large scale farming estates operated by multinational agro-based companies.