Systematic review of worldwide variations of the prevalence of wheezing symptoms in children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Considerable variation in the prevalence of childhood asthma and its symptoms (wheezing) has been observed in previous studies and there is evidence that the prevalence has been increasing over time.

Methods

We have systematically reviewed the reported prevalence and time trends of wheezing symptoms among children, worldwide and within the same country over time. All studies comprising more than 1000 persons and meeting certain other quality criteria published over a 16-year period, between January 1990 and December 2005, are reported and a comparison of ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) and non-ISAAC studies is made, in part as a way of expanding the power to examine time trends (the older studies tend to be non-ISAAC), but also to

SUBMITTER: Patel SP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2614981 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature