Kevin Mortimer1,2, Maia Lesosky3,4, Luis García-Marcos5,6, M Innes Asher7, Neil Pearce8, Eamon Ellwood7, Karen Bissell9, Asma El Sony10, Philippa Ellwood7, Guy B Marks11, Antonela Martínez-Torres12,13, Eva Morales14, Virginia Perez-Fernandez15, Steven Robertson8, Charlotte E Rutter8, Richard J Silverwood8,16, David P Strachan17, Chen-Yuan Chiang18,19,20. 1. Dept of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 2. Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK. 3. Dept of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK. 4. School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. 5. Paediatric Allergy and Pulmonology Units, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Children's Hospital, University of Murcia and IMIB Bio-health Research Institute, Murcia, Spain. 6. ARADyAL Allergy Network, Edificio Departamental-LAIB, Murcia, Spain. 7. Dept of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. 8. Dept of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. 9. School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. 10. Epidemiological Laboratory (Epi-Lab) for Public Health, Research and Development, Khartoum, Sudan. 11. Respiratory and Environmental Epidemiology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 12. Paediatric Allergy and Pulmonology Units and Nurse Research Group, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Children's Hospital, Murcia, Spain. 13. IMIB Bio-health Research Institute, Edificio Departamental-LAIB, Murcia, Spain. 14. Dept of Public Health Sciences, University of Murcia and IMIB Bio-health Research Institute, Edificio Departamental-LAIB, Murcia, Spain. 15. Dept of Biostatistics, University of Murcia and IMIB Bio-health Research Institute, Edificio Departamental-LAIB, Murcia, Spain. 16. Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Social Research Institute, University College London, London, UK. 17. Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, UK. 18. International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France cychiang@tmu.edu.tw. 19. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. 20. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract
AIMS: Asthma, hay fever and eczema are three common chronic conditions. There have been no recent multi-country data on the burden of these three conditions in adults; the aims of this study are to fill this evidence gap. METHODS: The Global Asthma Network Phase I is a multi-country cross-sectional population-based study using the same core methodology as the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Phase III. It provides data on the burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in children and adolescents, and, for the first time, in their parents/guardians. RESULTS: Data were available from 193 912 adults (104 061 female; mean±sd age 38±7.5 years) in 43 centres in 17 countries. The overall prevalence (range) of symptoms was 6.6% (0.9-32.7%) for current wheeze, 4.4% (0.9-29.0%) for asthma ever, 14.4% (2.8-45.7%) for hay fever ever and 9.9% (1.6-29.5%) for eczema ever. Centre prevalence varied considerably both between countries and within countries. There was a moderate correlation between hay fever ever and asthma ever, and between eczema ever and hay fever ever at the centre level. There were moderate to strong correlations between indicators of the burden of disease reported in adults and the two younger age groups. CONCLUSION: We found evidence for a substantial burden of asthma, hay fever ever and eczema ever in the countries examined, highlighting the major public health importance of these diseases. Prevention strategies and equitable access to effective and affordable treatments for these three conditions would help mitigate the avoidable morbidity they cause.
AIMS: Asthma, hay fever and eczema are three common chronic conditions. There have been no recent multi-country data on the burden of these three conditions in adults; the aims of this study are to fill this evidence gap. METHODS: The Global Asthma Network Phase I is a multi-country cross-sectional population-based study using the same core methodology as the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Phase III. It provides data on the burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in children and adolescents, and, for the first time, in their parents/guardians. RESULTS: Data were available from 193 912 adults (104 061 female; mean±sd age 38±7.5 years) in 43 centres in 17 countries. The overall prevalence (range) of symptoms was 6.6% (0.9-32.7%) for current wheeze, 4.4% (0.9-29.0%) for asthma ever, 14.4% (2.8-45.7%) for hay fever ever and 9.9% (1.6-29.5%) for eczema ever. Centre prevalence varied considerably both between countries and within countries. There was a moderate correlation between hay fever ever and asthma ever, and between eczema ever and hay fever ever at the centre level. There were moderate to strong correlations between indicators of the burden of disease reported in adults and the two younger age groups. CONCLUSION: We found evidence for a substantial burden of asthma, hay fever ever and eczema ever in the countries examined, highlighting the major public health importance of these diseases. Prevention strategies and equitable access to effective and affordable treatments for these three conditions would help mitigate the avoidable morbidity they cause.
Authors: H Williams; C Robertson; A Stewart; N Aït-Khaled; G Anabwani; R Anderson; I Asher; R Beasley; B Björkstén; M Burr; T Clayton; J Crane; P Ellwood; U Keil; C Lai; J Mallol; F Martinez; E Mitchell; S Montefort; N Pearce; J Shah; B Sibbald; D Strachan; E von Mutius; S K Weiland Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 1999-01 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Joseph A Odhiambo; Hywel C Williams; Tadd O Clayton; Colin F Robertson; M Innes Asher Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2009-12 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: M Innes Asher; Charlotte E Rutter; Karen Bissell; Chen-Yuan Chiang; Asma El Sony; Eamon Ellwood; Philippa Ellwood; Luis García-Marcos; Guy B Marks; Eva Morales; Kevin Mortimer; Virginia Pérez-Fernández; Steven Robertson; Richard J Silverwood; David P Strachan; Neil Pearce Journal: Lancet Date: 2021-10-28 Impact factor: 202.731