An all age group study of the prevalence of asthma in Golden Bay
Campbell, K.; Davis, J.; Kingston, H.; Milne, G.A.
New Zealand Medical Journal 106(959): 282-283
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-8446 PMID: 8321445 Document Number: 417894
Aims: To determine the prevalence of asthma within the total population of a region defined by census and geographical boundaries. Methods: Patients on the asthma register of the sole medical centre in the region of Golden Bay, during the period of six months before the March 1991 census, were compared by age and sex with the census figures for the whole population. The methods of verifying the numbers on the register are described. Results: The total number of patients of all age groups under treatment for asthma was 260, giving a prevalence of asthma in the population of 4803 of 5.41% (males 5.67%, females 5.11%). In children between ages 1-14 years there were 9.21% with asthma. The prevalence, defined by percentage for each group, rises from infancy to peak in the mid teens at 10%, followed by a steady decline to the mid thirties to 3.4%, and thereafter a rather flat plateau between 3.5% and 4% into old age. Conclusions: Previous studies of the prevalence of asthma have been limited to schoolchildren. Whole population studies, within a defined region, are likely to offer more information for the planning of healthcare resources, and may give some clues to understanding the natural history of the disease.