RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN TASMANIAN ADOLESCENTS: A FOLLOW UP OF THE 1961 BIRTH COHORT

Abstract

The 1961 birth cohort of Tasmanians (n= 8410) was initially surveyed in 1968 and was followed up in 1974 for the history and presence of respiratory symptoms and signs. The study was designed to describe and compare the natural histories of wheeze and productive cough. In 1981 a 10% stratified random sample of the original cohort was again followed up and this sample's responses were compared across the three surveys. Wheezing was found to be more persistent than productive cough. Wheezers were twice as likely as coughers to persist with their symptoms to the age of 20. These persistent wheezers represented 3.6% of the cohort available for follow‐up in 1974 (n= 7132). Wheezing was also invar..