Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 110, January 2016, Pages 58-65
Respiratory Medicine

Respiratory symptoms/diseases prevalence is still increasing: a 25-yr population study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2015.11.006Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Few studies assessed the changes in prevalence rates in the general population.

  • New information on the entire population have been added, in particular for COPD and AO.

  • Respiratory symptoms/diseases are still on the increase.

  • Current asthma attacks, allergic rhinitis, usual phlegm and COPD almost doubled.

Abstract

Background

Few epidemiological surveys on general population samples estimated changes in prevalence of respiratory symptoms/diseases over a long time interval; our study aims to quantify the temporal changes in the prevalence rates of asthma, allergic rhinitis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) after 25 years from baseline.

Methods

A general population sample participated in 3 cross-sectional surveys carried out in Central Italy (Pisa) in 1985–88 (n = 3865), 1991–93 (n = 2841), 2009–11 (n = 1620). 2276 (47%) subjects participated in at least 1 survey, 1723 (35.5%) in at least 2 surveys and 849 (17.5%) in all the 3 surveys.

All subjects filled in a standardized questionnaire about health status and risk factors; a sub-sample performed spirometry.

Chi-square test was used to compare adjusted prevalence rates of respiratory symptoms/diseases and descriptive characteristics among the surveys. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) were used to analyze the association between respiratory symptoms/diseases and risk factors.

Results

There was an increasing trend in prevalence rates of all respiratory symptoms/diseases throughout the surveys: current asthma attacks (1st–3rd survey prevalence: 3.4–7.2%), allergic rhinitis (16.2–37.4%), usual phlegm (8.7–19.5%) and COPD (2.1–6.8%) more than doubled. The GEE model confirmed these increasing trends, indicating higher risk of having respiratory symptoms/diseases in the second and third surveys.

Conclusions

While asthma and allergic rhinitis increasing trends were confirmed, with respect to other international studies, also a COPD increasing prevalence rates was shown.

Keywords

Prevalence trends
General population
Risk factors

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