The epidemiology of asthma and hay fever in a total community, Tecumseh, Michigan
1962; Elsevier BV; Volume: 33; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0021-8707(62)90019-9
ISSN1878-2213
AutoresI. Broder, Peter Barlow, R.J.M. Horton,
Tópico(s)Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
ResumoAn epidemiological study of a total community has been described in which a detailed medical history, family history, physical examination, and certain physical and laboratory measurements were obtained in 88 per cent of all residents. Cumulative prevalence rates for asthma and hay fever are presented which are based on the population 6 years of age and older. A diagnosis of asthma was made in 711 persons and hay fever in 681; these included 285 persons with a history of asthma and 439 with hay fever in whom the diagnoses were considered to be more firm than in the remainder. The age-specific cumulative prevalence of the more certain asthma group was relatively constant, while that for hay fever rose to a plateau in the second and third decades. Of those persons with a history of asthma, the first episode most commonly occurred under the age of 5 years; hay fever more frequently began at a later age. Although there were no appreciable sex differences in the total cumulative prevalence of asthma and hay fever, both diseases demonstrated a trend toward an carlier onset in males than females. Forty-two to 50 per cent of persons having a history of asthma had symptoms which were either perennial or occurred predominantly in the winter; almost everyone with hay fever had symptoms in the spring, summer, or fall. Persons in the asthma group were more commonly seen by a physician than those with hay fever.
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