Abstract
Respiratory diseases are a major public health problem in Australia. This study compares the prevalence rates of major respiratory health indices in both a rural and metropolitan setting using the same methodology. Methods: A cross-sectional postal survey gathered data on self-reported respiratory symptoms using a validated screening questionnaire. Responses were sought from 2 random electoral roll samples of 20-44 year olds. The samples consisted of 4456 Melbourne adults & 4558 adults from the Riverina, NSW. Results: Response rates of 72% (n=3195) [Melbourne] & 68.5% (n=3121) [Riverina] were achieved. Respiratory indicator Melbourne Riverina #p<0.001 ;tp<0.05 Prevalence (95% Cl) Prevalence (95% Cl) Wheeze in past 12 months 26% (24-28) 27% (25-29) Nocturnal dyspnea# 9% (8-10) 11% (10-12) Asthma attack in past 12 months# 9% (8-10) 12% (11 -13) Asthma ever# 20% (19-22) 24% (22-25) Dr. diagnosed asthma# 18% ( 17-20) 22% (20-23) Current asthma medication 10%(9-11) 11%(10-12) Cough & phlegm production† 14% (13-16) 16% (15-18) Nasal allergies 42% (41-44) 44% (42-46) Ever smoked† 43% (41-44) 45% (43-47) Current smoker 23% (22-25) 25% (24-27) Conclusions: These results suggest that some features of asthma are more common in rural NSW than in Melbourne.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | A5 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Respirology |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | Suppl. 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 1999 |
| Event | Annual Scientific Meeting of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand 1999 - National Convention Centre, Canberra, Australia Duration: 26 Feb 1999 → 3 Mar 1999 Conference number: 11th https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/resp.1999.4.s1.a1 |
Keywords
- Asthma
- Epidemiology
- Questionnaire
- Respiratory health
