Table 1

 Summary regional and global estimates for changes in the prevalence of self-reported asthma symptoms (written questionnaire) between phase I and phase III: percentage change in symptom prevalence per year (and phase III symptom prevalence percentage)

CentrePhase I(n)Phase III(n)12 month prevalenceEver had asthmaEver had asthma and current wheeze
Wheeze⩾4 AttacksWheeze disturbs sleepSevere wheeze limiting speechExercise wheezeNight cough
13–14-year-old children
Africa28554283970.16 (13.4)0.06 (4.0)0.05 (3.5)0.02 (5.9)0.44 (24.7)0.91 (30.5)0.07 (11.9)−0.01 (5.2)
Asia-Pacific66222573890.07 (8.8)0.00 (2.3)0.01 (0.7)−0.02 (2.1)0.42 (17.0)0.49 (20.6)0.39 (12.6)0.04 (4.0)
Eastern Mediterranean1610919887−0.10 (11.6)−0.04 (2.7)−0.04 (2.2)−0.05 (3.9)−0.11 (15.0)0.22 (23.4)0.11 (10.9)0.00 (3.7)
Indian subcontinent22120207670.02 (6.4)−0.09 (2.1)−0.04 (1.1)−0.15 (2.6)−0.05 (6.9)−0.38 (20.0)−0.01 (6.1)0.01 (3.1)
Latin America46209445500.32 (18.8)0.02 (3.6)−0.01 (2.7)−0.02 (4.6)0.13 (21.3)0.83 (35.1)0.25 (16.1)0.12 (8.2)
North America586349200.12 (21.5)−0.02 (4.9)0.04 (3.1)0.11 (7.0)0.20 (24.9)0.00 (21.1)0.71 (22.5)0.10 (13.2)
Northern and Eastern Europe36508326080.26 (11.6)0.08 (2.3)0.01 (0.8)0.08 (2.2)0.30 (14.3)0.41 (14.0)0.29 (5.9)0.10 (2.5)
Oceania1546013317−0.39 (26.7)−0.38 (6.2)−0.05 (2.6)−0.21 (6.2)−0.29 (37.5)−0.01 (28.9)0.93 (32.4)0.16 (17.0)
Western Europe8596982844−0.07 (15.2)−0.05 (3.7)−0.02 (1.6)−0.02 (3.8)0.03 (20.3)0.64 (29.3)0.33 (16.3)0.07 (7.7)
Global total3230143046790.06 (13.7)−0.02 (3.3)−0.01 (1.8)−0.01 (3.7)0.15 (19.2)0.51 (25.8)0.28 (13.8)0.06 (6.2)
6–7-year-old children
Africa169623960.10 (5.6)0.02 (2.8)0.04 (2.3)0.14 (4.8)−0.18 (5.4)−0.18 (8.0)−0.01 (3.3)−0.10 (1.1)
Asia-Pacific4051643403−0.06 (8.9)−0.09 (1.8)−0.04 (0.6)−0.04 (1.2)−0.10 (4.5)0.47 (20.6)0.12 (11.4)−0.04 (4.9)
Eastern Mediterranean12853139900.79 (11.7)0.10 (2.3)0.10 (2.3)0.04 (1.9)0.19 (4.9)0.36 (15.7)0.28 (9.1)0.17 (4.6)
Indian subcontinent16981188770.06 (6.8)−0.07 (1.0)−0.06 (0.7)−0.09 (1.8)−0.04 (4.0)−0.17 (12.5)−0.05 (5.2)0.02 (3.8)
Latin America21467211120.07 (21.4)0.09 (5.0)−0.03 (3.6)−0.05 (4.9)−0.05 (10.3)0.63 (34.4)−0.15 (13.2)−0.03 (9.0)
North America570740140.32 (19.1)0.01 (4.1)0.04 (3.0)0.04 (2.9)0.22 (8.3)0.34 (16.3)0.74 (20.0)0.37 (13.4)
Northern and Eastern Europe24196219840.05 (9.6)0.04 (2.3)0.00 (1.2)0.02 (1.5)0.06 (4.5)0.33 (13.0)0.23 (4.5)0.13 (2.7)
Oceania1423313841−0.21 (21.8)−0.16 (7.0)−0.04 (3.0)−0.12 (3.6)−0.08 (15.1)−0.08 (28.4)0.42 (29.2)0.01 (16.8)
Western Europe60100537870.20 (9.7)0.03 (2.1)−0.01 (1.5)0.03 (1.7)0.09 (4.6)0.65 (20.7)0.25 (9.1)0.12 (4.5)
Global total1977491934040.13 (11.6)−0.01 (2.7)−0.02 (1.6)−0.01 (2.1)0.04 (6.0)0.43 (20.4)0.18 (10.8)0.07 (5.7)