Table 3

Allergen levels and prevalence of atopy and asthma in population-based studies comparing different populations, or the same population over time

Reference	Population	No.	Age	Allergen	Units	Levels	Specific atopy (%)	Total atopy (%)	% with doctor diagnosed asthma or “asthma”
Comparisons of populations
Charpin et al 32	Matigues (coast)	693	9–11	HDM group 1	μg/g	15.8	17	25	6
	Briancon (Alps)	150	9–11			0.36	4	26	4
	Briancon (non-native)	90	9–11			0.36	10	–	7
Woolcock et al 33 34	Asaro Valley	743	>20	HD mites	No/g	283	–	24	0.3
Turner et al 35	South Fore area	736	>20			1371	–	Similar	7
Peatet al ²	Broken Hill	794	8–11	Der p 1	μg/g	0.7	13	37	30
	Wagga Wagga	850	8–11			1.4	21	40	29
	Moree/Narrabi	770	8–11			6.5	26	40	31
	Sydney	1339	8–11			22.5	34	42	24
	Belmont	926	8–11			35.7	30	39	38
	Lismore	805	8–11			47.8	29	35	31
Von Mutius et al 36	Munich (W Germany)	7445	9–11	Der p 1 + Der f 1^3-150	μg/g	2	10	19	6
	Leipzig (E Germany)	1429	9–11			Similar	4	7	4
Nowak et al 37	Hamburg (W Germany)	3156	20–44	Der p 1 + Der f 1^3-150	μg/g	2	14	36	14
	Erfurt (E Germany)	3272	20–44			Similar	10	30	6
Leung et al 38	Hong Kong	1062	12–18	Der p 1	⩾10 μg/g	69%	55	58	7
	Kota Kinabalu (Mal)	409	12–18				60	64	3
	San Bu (S China)	737	12–18			50%	43	49	2
Wieringaet al 39	Urban Antwerp	319	20–44	Der p 1	>2 μg/g	27%	26	–	22
	Suburban Antwerp	337	20–44			42%	17	–	9
Comparisons of time periods
Peat et al 40	Belmont (1982)	718	8–10	HD mites	No/g	225	21	28	9
	Belmont (1992)	873	8–10			1240	Similar	29	38
	Wagga Wagga (1982)	769	8–10			67	16	30	13
	Wagga Wagga (1992)	795	8–10			301	Similar	35	30