[Measure of bronchial hyperreactivity in epidemiology].

First used to evaluate individuals with symptoms suggestive of asthma, the assessment of bronchial hyperresponsiveness is now commonly used in epidemiological studies, available methods being reproducible and portable. This chapter defines how to assess bronchial hyperresponsiveness in epidemiological studies, which factors need to be considered, what is the prevalence in different populations and finally what are the indications for measuring bronchial hyperresponsiveness in epidemiological studies.