Asthma among school children in the Barwon region of Victoria

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine (i) the relationship between asthma management and socioeconomic status; (ii) whether recent estimates from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) conducted in Melbourne apply to a broader cross-section of Victorian children; and (iii) age-related trends in asthma prevalence. DESIGN: A questionnaire survey, based on the ISAAC protocol. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Subjects were children aged 4-13 years from a random sample of primary schools in the Barwon region of Victoria. The survey was conducted between March and September 2005. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parent-reported wheeze and wheeze-related use of health resources during the preceding..