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PubMed1991

Site-related difference in the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse. Relation to the prevalence and severity of mitral regurgitation.

In this study, 431 consecutive patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography were employed to further investigate the site-related difference in the prevalence of MVP. Following echocardiographic determination of the site and severity of MVP, a pulsed-Doppler technique was further performed to assess the existence and severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) in all patients. These patients were then classified by age in 10-year groups with patients older than 60 years being enrolled in one group. The younger groups accounted for a large number of the patients with MVP in our study, with the number of patients being reduced with age. In addition, female patients tended to predominate up until the 50s, but not in the 50 and older groups. The prevalence of MVP at the centro-medial site of the anterior mitral leaflet (AML) predominated in all age groups, gradually decreasing with age, except for a peak in the 40s, before continuing to decline in the 50 and older groups. On the other hand, the prevalence of MVP at the lateral site of the AML and at the posterior mitral leaflet (PML) increased with age. In the 50 and older age groups, the prevalence of MVP at these sites increased steeply with age. However, the prevalence of MVP at both the lateral site of the AML and PML did not significantly increase with age. The trend shown above was not significantly different for gender. The number of patients with MR increased with age independent of the site of MVP. However, the prevalence and severity of MR associated with MVP at the lateral site of the AML and/or at the PML were significantly greater than at the other sites up until the 50s (p less than 0.05). When patients were older than 50 years, this significant site-related difference in the prevalence of MR was not observed because of the higher prevalence of MR in the older patients in this study. Forty-one patients could be followed for 2 to almost 5 years. Three of the 41 patients were observed to have MVP at the centro-medial site of the AML in the initial examination, but the site of MVP had extended to the lateral side of the AML in the final examination. Two patients with MVP at all 3 sites of the AML demonstrated an increase in the severity of MVP. However, there were no newly documented cases of MR among those patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

[The epidemiology of neural tube defects in high-prevalence and low-prevalence areas of China].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of neural tube defects (NTDs) in high- and low-prevalence areas of China. METHODS: Birth defects surveillance data, collected from 1992 through 1994 was analyzed. These data were collected as part of the Sino-American cooperative project on NTDs prevention. We classified NTDs as anencephaly, encephalocele, high-level and low-level spina bifida (SB) according to location of the lesion (high vs low) and whether the defect was isolated or occurred in association with other birth defects. Rates were compared in the high-prevalence (North) region and the low-prevalence (South) region, after adjusted for classification, urban and rural, season and sex, and calculated the adjusted rate of NTDs. RESULTS: Among seven hundred and eighty-four NTDs cases in 326 874 recorded births (include in livebirth, stillbirth and fetal death with a gestational age of at least 20 weeks), the overall NTDs prevalence in the North was 5.57/1,000 births, and in the South was 0.88/1 000. There were also significant differences in the prevalence of anencephaly, encephalocele, high-level and low-level SB between North (0.97, 0.49, 2.75 and 1.11/1,000 birth) and South (0.36, 0.15, 0.21 and 0.14/1,000 birth) (P < 0.01), with adjusted prevalences in the North 3 - 7 times higher than those in the South. There were significant difference between urban (2.04) and rural areas (6.57/1,000 birth) in the North (P < 0.01), urban (0.52) and rural areas (0.95/1,000 birth) in the South (P < 0.05). Adjusted prevalence rates in the rural were 3 - 4 times higher than those of urban in the North and 1.6 - 1.9 times higher than in the South; The seasonal rate of high-level SB increased between September and November in the North (3.44/1,000 birth), while the seasonal rate of anencephaly decreased between September and November (0.18/1,000 birth) in the South. However there were no seasonal changes in other classified NTDs both in the South and North. CONCLUSIONS: The birth prevalence of NTDs in the North of China was the highest in the world. There were significant differences between the North and the South, urban and rural. There was seasonal change in high-level SB in the North, which was in accordance to the phenotype of NTDs. It was suggested that there might exist etiological heterogeneity among anecephalus, low- and high-level SB.

China↗

PubMed1995

Prevalence of respiratory symptoms in Swiss children: is bronchial asthma really more prevalent in boys?

Precise epidemiological data for the prevalence of childhood asthma were lacking for Switzerland until recently. In 1990 we performed a stratified cluster sampling of schoolchildren (aged 7, 12, and 15 years), using a parent completed questionnaire to obtain data for the 12 months prevalence of asthma symptoms and the lifetime prevalence of asthma diagnosis. A response rate of 97.5% enabled us to analyse 4,353 completed questionnaires. The prevalence of any asthma symptom during the last 12 months was 17.5% while only 4.8% of the children reported the diagnostic label "asthma". The 12 months prevalence of chronic night cough was 12% and is comparable to other European data. Wheeze (5.9%) was reported less often in Switzerland than in England. At the age of 7 years asthma symptoms such as wheeze, morning tightness, and allergen-induced symptoms were reported more often in boys than in girls; at the age of 12 and 15 the male preponderance was no more evident. For all asthma symptoms the male-female ratio decreased with increasing age of the children, while independently of age twice as many boys than girls reported the diagnostic label "asthma." We conclude that asthma symptom prevalence in Swiss schoolchildren is within the lower range of European data. Chronic night cough might be a more appropriate variable to compare prevalence rates between regions with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds that the symptom of wheeze. Evidence exists for a substantial underdiagnosis of bronchial asthma in Swiss children, especially in girls. Further evaluation is needed to define risk factors for underdiagnosis and the associated risk for undertreatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Prevalence of objective eye manifestations in people working in office buildings with different prevalences of the sick building syndrome compared with the general population.

A cross-sectional clinical epidemiological study was carried out among 169 office workers in four Copenhagen town halls with different prevalences of the sick building syndrome. The results were compared with those in 112 subjects randomly selected from the general population. Biomicroscopic eye manifestations, such as premature break-up of the precorneal tear film, absence of foam at the inner eye canthus and epithelial damage of the bulbar conjunctiva, were investigated together with self-reported eye complaints. Although intercorrelated, the objective eye manifestations independently were statistically associated with self-reported eye complaints in office workers. The prevalence of the objective eye manifestations was significantly elevated in office workers compared with the general population and most pronounced for the buildings with a high prevalence of the sick building syndrome (P < 0.001). In the general population, subjects with a non-industrial occupation, including office workers, had a significantly higher prevalence of objective eye manifestations than those with an industrial occupation (P = 0.03), but the prevalence was still significantly lower than that among the office workers in buildings with a high prevalence of the sick building syndrome (P < 0.001). Since possible confounders were found not to explain the difference in prevalence of objective eye manifestations and complaints among the two populations, it is concluded that the office environment (buildings and/or type of office work) promotes these objective changes accompanied by self-reported complaints.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

A systematic review of the literature on the prevalence of sexual impairment in women with urinary incontinence and the prevalence of urinary leakage during sexual activity.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a synthesis of the literature concerning the impact of urinary incontinence on sexual lives of women and the prevalence of urinary incontinence during sexual activity. METHODS: Medline and PsycInfo were searched for all primary epidemiological articles reporting the prevalence of sexual incontinence or the impact of urinary incontinence on sexual function in women. Only papers written in English since 1980 and prior to December 2001 were included. RESULTS: Two studies had assessed the prevalence of sexual incontinence in randomly selected community samples and reported population prevalences of 2%. Reporting in clinical samples were varied with prevalences ranging from 10 to 56%. Studies of impairment in sexual function were more varied and methodologically heterogeneous with reported prevalences of 0.6-64%. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed using standard definitions and measures of sexual incontinence and sexual impairment in order to establish reliable prevalence estimates.

Epidemiologic Studies↗

PubMed2004

Meta-analysis of age-prevalence patterns in lymphatic filariasis: no decline in microfilaraemia prevalence in older age groups as predicted by models with acquired immunity.

The role of acquired immunity in lymphatic filariasis is uncertain. Assuming that immunity against new infections develops gradually with accumulated experience of infection, models predict a decline in prevalence after teenage or early adulthood. A strong indication for acquired immunity was found in longitudinal data from Pondicherry, India, where Mf prevalence was highest around the age of 20 and declined thereafter. We reviewed published studies from India and Subsaharan Africa to investigate whether their age-prevalence patterns support the models with acquired immunity. By comparing prevalence levels in 2 adult age groups we tested whether prevalence declined at older age. For India, comparison of age groups 20-39 and 40+ revealed a significant decline in only 6 out of 53 sites, whereas a significant increase occurred more often (10 sites). Comparison of older age groups provided no indication that a decline would start at a later age. Results from Africa were even more striking, with many more significant increases than declines, irrespective of the age groups compared. The occurrence of a decline was not related to the overall Mf prevalence and seems to be a chance finding. We conclude that there is no evidence of a general age-prevalence pattern that would correspond to the acquired immunity models. The Pondicherry study is an exceptional situation that may have guided us in the wrong direction.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Predicting the community prevalence of schistosomiasis mansoni from the prevalence among 7- to 14-year-olds.

The World Health Organization suggested that the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni among 7- to 14-year-olds be used to guide treatment strategies in endemic areas. This study explores how well the prevalence in that age group predicted the overall prevalence in the community in data from stool examinations (Kato-Katz method) from 180,000 people in 3 municipalities in Brazil in 1984 and 1985. The median prevalence was higher in 1984, before community treatment was introduced. There was a strong relationship between the prevalence among 7- to 14-year-olds and the overall prevalence in the community. We present sensitivities and positive predictive values for the use of prevalence in the indicator group to select communities for mass treatment as recommended by WHO. For a range of assumptions sensitivity and positive predictive value were never both above 80 %. We suggest that the estimates of validity presented in this paper inform future evaluations of strategies for S. mansoni control.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Low prevalence of asthma in westernizing countries-myth or reality? Prevalence of asthma in Estonia--a report from the "FinEsS" study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of asthma among adults in Estonia by using different diagnostic methods and criteria for the disease. METHODS: In 1995-1996, a postal questionnaire was randomly distributed in three areas of Estonia to a representative sample of 22,579 subjects aged 15-64 years. The participation rate was 78%. A clinical follow-up study including structured interview, skin prick test, lung function, and methacholine test, was performed from 1997 to 2000 among randomly selected responders to the postal questionnaire. Of 2676 subjects, 53% participated. RESULTS: The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma for the postal questionnaire (PQ) was 2.7%, and in the same subjects for the structured interview (SI) 3.8%. Respiratory symptoms, except recurrent wheeze, were more common in the SI than PQ. Combinations of symptoms, except wheezing with breathlessness apart from cold, were more prevalent in the PQ responders. The prevalence of asthma defined by different symptom combinations varied from 5.4% to 8.2%. Among responders, 71-87% demonstrated bronchial hyperreactivity defined as methacholine reactivity=8 mg/mL. The symptom combinations used as surrogate variables for asthma were strongly associated with a positive skin test. CONCLUSION: The low prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma probably reflects a considerable underdiagnosis of asthma in Estonia. Disease criteria for asthma based on symptom combinations together with hyperreactivity yielded a prevalence of 5%-8%, which is similar to the prevalence of asthma among adults in neighboring Western countries.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Prevalence of iron deficiency with and without concurrent anemia in population groups with high prevalences of malaria and other infections: a study in Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency is highly prevalent in most developing countries. However, its detection is often obscured by infections and inflammatory disorders that are common in the same populations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of iron deficiency with or without concurrent anemia in different population groups from Côte d'Ivoire and to evaluate the influence of infectious and inflammatory disorders on iron-status indexes. DESIGN: Blood samples from 1573 children, women, and men were analyzed for hemoglobin, serum ferritin, zinc protoporphyrin, and serum transferrin receptor. C-reactive protein was used as the indicator of inflammation or infection, and samples were screened for malarial parasites and hemoglobinopathies. Iron deficiency was defined as 2 of 3 iron-status indexes outside the cutoff values, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was defined as iron deficiency with concurrent anemia. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the influence of malaria and inflammation on iron-status indexes. RESULTS: The prevalence of iron deficiency was 41-63% in the women and children and 13% in the men, whereas the prevalence of IDA was 20-39% in the women and children and 4% in the men. The detection of iron deficiency and IDA was obscured by the high prevalence of inflammatory disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Iron deficiency and IDA are highly prevalent in the women and children in Côte d'Ivoire. Iron deficiency was detected in approximately 50% of anemic women and children, which indicates that hemoglobin alone is not a good indicator of iron status when inflammatory disorders are highly prevalent. The serum transferrin receptor is the most useful single indicator of iron deficiency because it was the only iron-status index unaffected by malaria or inflammation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Effect of mulesing and shearing on the prevalence of effect of mulesing and shearing on the prevalence of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae arthritis in lambs.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of management practices and environment on the prevalence of arthritis in lambs. DESIGN AND POPULATION: A case-control study was conducted on groups of lambs from 122 Western Australian sheep flocks. METHOD: Arthritis was diagnosed by visual assessment of lambs at abattoirs by qualified meat inspectors. The prevalence was estimated from data collected from producers on culling practices for arthritis. Data on management practices and environmental variables were collected by personal interview. Stepwise logistic regression was used to measure the effects of the most important factors on the prevalence of arthritis. RESULTS: Mulesing and shearing lambs increased the odds of high prevalence of arthritis by 7 (95% CI 1.9 - 25.6) and 4.3 (95% CI 0.9 - 19.6) times, respectively compared to unmarked and unshorn lambs. Lambs slaughtered between December and June had 3.7 (95% CI 0.8 - 16.6) times greater odds of having a high prevalence of arthritis than lambs slaughtered in the remainder of the year. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that, to decrease the risk of high prevalence of arthritis, lambs raised for meat production should not be mulesed or shorn. Recommended improvements to hygiene at mulesing such as the use of portable yards had little effect on the prevalence of arthritis.

Animal Husbandry↗

PubMed2003

How has the prevalence of cigarette smoking changed among Australian adults? Trends in smoking prevalence between 1980 and 2001.

OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in the prevalence of cigarette smoking between 1980 and 2001 among several different sociodemographic groups within the Australian population. METHOD: National cross sectional surveys conducted by face to face interview every 3 years from 1980. Respondents were classified into five age groups and the occupation of respondents in the workforce were classified into one of upper or lower white collar or upper or lower blue collar. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Prevalence of smoking at least weekly. RESULTS: The prevalence of smoking in 2001 was lower than that found in 1980 and this was true for all sociodemographic groups. Among adults smoking prevalence decreased from 35% in 1980 to 23% in 2001. The differential in smoking prevalence between men and women decreased between 1980 and 2001. Although smoking was more common among younger Australians (<24 years) than older Australians throughout the study, the differential between age groups reduced. For all years except 1980, the proportion of smokers among upper white collar workers was significantly lower than in all other occupation groups. CONCLUSION: There had been a continual decline in the prevalence of smoking among the Australian population since 1980. This decline had occurred across both sexes and in all age and occupation groups. Much of the decline in smoking prevalence between 1998 and 2001 was among blue collar worker group.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

The prevalence of atopy in asthmatic children correlates strictly with the prevalence of atopy among nonasthmatic children.

BACKGROUND: Because asthma preferentially burdens persons with atopy, atopy is simplistically considered a primary 'cause' of asthma. Yet at the population level, the percentage of asthma cases 'attributable' to atopy ranges from less than 10% to more than 60%. Seeking to understand the rationale for the variability of atopy-attributable cases of asthma, we systematically reviewed the results of our own previous epidemiological studies and several studies conducted by others in children. METHODS: From each of the 37 random pediatric populations selected by a Medline search combining the key words 'IgE or skin tests or hypersensitivity, immediate' with 'epidemiological studies, cross-sectional, case-control, prevalence, longitudinal, epidemiology of asthma' (12 from our previous pediatric surveys and a further 25 reported from 19 studies in children), we extracted the population prevalence of asthma and atopy among asthmatic subjects and among the nonasthmatic part of the population. RESULTS: No correlation was found between the prevalence of asthma (range 1.8-44.1%) and atopy (range 5.8-63.9%) in these 37 populations of children (r = 0.052, p = 0.761). Nevertheless, the prevalence of atopy among asthmatics strictly correlated with the prevalence of atopy in nonasthmatics (r = 0.900, p < 0.001, slope 1.364). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asthma and atopy varies worldwide and at various time points and independently undergoes the influence of powerful environmental factors. The almost perfect correlation we found between atopy in asthmatics and atopy in the nonasthmatic part of the childhood population shows that the prevalence of atopy in asthma depends on environmental factors that simultaneously induce atopy in asthmatic and nonasthmatic subjects.

Asthma↗

PubMed2005

The changing prevalence of myopia in young adults: a 13-year series of population-based prevalence surveys.

PURPOSE: To determine the changing prevalence of myopia during the years 1990 through 2002 among the 16- to 22-year age group and identify possible risk factors. METHODS: A retrospective study, based on 13 repeated prevalence surveys conducted over a 13-year period. The study subjects were all Israeli nationals belonging to the 16- to 22-year age group from the years 1990 to 2002. Refraction was determined by using subjective visual acuity followed by noncycloplegic autorefraction and subjective validation based on the autorefraction RESULTS: Mild myopia was defined as a refractive error of -0.50 to -3.00 D in at least one eye, moderate myopia as -3.25 to -6.00 D, and high myopia as more than -6.00 D. results. There were 919,929 subjects (382,139 [42%] females and 537,790 [58%] males) included in the study. The overall prevalence of myopia increased from 20.3% in 1990 to 28.3% in 2002. The prevalence of high, moderate, and mild myopia significantly increased in males from 1.7%, 5.7%, and 11.6% in 1990 to 2.05%, 7.2%, and 16.3% in 2002, respectively (P < 0.001). In females, the prevalence of myopia increased from 1.9%, 6.6%, and 13.5% in 1990 to 2.4%, 9.2%, and 20.7% in 2002, respectively (P < 0.001). A correlation between myopia and the number of years of education was observed. Non-Israeli origin was found to be a significant risk factor for myopia. CONCLUSIONS: During the 13 years from 1990 to 2002, the prevalence of myopia significantly increased among the Israeli population. Although there was an association with the level of education, gender, ethnicity, and origin, the prevalence of myopia increased on an annual basis, independent of these factors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

[Estimating the prevalence of height for age deficits based on the prevalence of weight for age deficits among Brazilian children].

INTRODUCTION: Anthropometry is frequently used for evaluating nutritional status of individuals and populations. In recent years, community surveys have been conducted by health professionals in various regions of Brazil with the objective of complementing the data obtained through nutritional surveillance programs. One important difficulty in conducting these assessments has been measuring height during visits to the homes of survey participants. METHODS: Thirty-eight anthropometric surveys of Brazilian children aged up to 5 years using the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference were identified. The percentage of children with a Z-score below standard deviations was used to define deficits of weight for age and height for age. RESULTS: Correlation between prevalences of height for age and weight for age deficits were examined. Due to the low prevalence of deficits in weight for height in all surveys, there was a strong correlation between weight for age and height for age at the population level. Approximately 90% of the height for age (H/A) variation was accounted for by that of weight for age (W/A). CONCLUSIONS: Using the equation, (Prevalence H/A) = 0.74 + 2.34 (Prevalence W/A) -0.03 (Prevalence W/A)2 it is possible to estimate the prevalence of height deficits on the basis of prevalence of weight deficits. These results suggest that anthropometric surveys as conducted in Brazil, in the context of health services, can be simplified by measuring weight only, instead of both weight and height.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1992

Multicenter study of the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in the urban Brazilian population aged 30-69 yr. The Brazilian Cooperative Group on the Study of Diabetes Prevalence.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of diabetes and IGT in the urban adult Brazilian population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used a two-stage, multicenter, cross-sectional survey in a random sample of 21,847 individuals aged 30-69 yr from nine large cities. Subjects were first screened by FCG. All positive screenees (FCG > or = 5.6 mM/L) and every sixth consecutive negative screenee were administered a 75 g OGTT and classified as diabetic, IGT, or normal (nondiabetic) according to WHO recommendations. OGTT findings from the negative screenees were extrapolated to all negative screenees after adjustments for potential biases. RESULTS: The overall rates were 7.6 and 7.8% for diabetes and IGT, respectively. Men (7.5%) and women (7.6%) had similar rates of diabetes. Similar rates resulted with whites (7.8%) and nonwhites (7.3%). Diabetes prevalence increased from 2.7% in the 30-39-yr age-group to 17.4% in the 60-69-yr age-group. Diabetes was more prevalent among less educated people, but this difference disappeared after adjusting for age. Family history of diabetes was associated with a twofold increase in diabetes prevalence (12.5 vs. 5.8%); the same increase occurred with obesity (11.6 vs. 5.2%). Undiagnosed diabetes accounted for 46% of the total prevalence. Among previously diagnosed cases, 22.3% were not under treatment, 7.9% were on insulin, 40.7% were on oral agents, and 29.1% were on dietary treatment only. Self-reported diabetes prevalence was 0.1, 3.2, and 11.6% in the age groups < 30, 30-69, and > 70 yr, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of diabetes in Brazil is comparable with that of more developed countries, where it is considered a major health problem.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[Eradication of paratuberculosis in dairy herds: determination of the initial herd prevalence and modelling of prevalence development].

A prerequisite for the success of any eradication programme is the accurate determination of the initial herd prevalence as well as a herd-specific prediction of prevalence development. This prerequisite is not currently given for the eradication of paratuberculosis in infected herds. In the work presented a method to predict the initial paratuberculosis prevalence in infected herds is presented; it is based on the formation of two groups (ELISA-positive and negative) and the determination of generally applicable factors (positive predictive value [ppvn] of the ELISA and sensitivity of fecal culture in the ELISA-negative group [senF]). The ppvn of the ELISA was determined to be 0.6 based on the cultural examination of the ileocaecal lymph node of 64 ELISA-positive animals; the value for senF was set to be 0.64 based on the cultural examination of feces and ileocaecal lymph nodes of 40 ELISA-negative animals. To calculate the initial herd prevalence the number of animals in each of the groups was multiplied with the ppvn of the ELISA or with the reciprocal value of senF (1.5). The values were added and divided by the size of the herd. The practicability of this model was examined on nine herds with a total of 708 animals. The development of herd prevalence was modelled based on the examination scheme given in the paratuberculosis control programme of the "Niedersächsische Tierseuchenkasse" (local board for infectious disease control in food animals in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany). For the calculation a yearly turnover-rate of 33% with restocking from within the herd and a possibility of paratuberculosis diagnosis only in animals two years and older were assumed. The development of herd prevalence is exemplarily presented for four herds with different initial prevalences.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Prevalence of overweight among elementary and middle school students in Mississippi compared with prevalence data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the Child and Youth Prevalence of Overweight Survey was to estimate the prevalence of overweight and at risk for becoming overweight among children in Mississippi (grades 1-8) using height and weight measures instead of self-report and to compare the findings for grades 6 through 8 with data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System for middle school students (grades 6-8). METHODS: Students in randomly selected classes from 37 sampled elementary and middle schools throughout Mississippi participated in the study. School staff were trained to collect height and weight data using a standardized procedure. RESULTS: Overall, 24.0% of students in grades 1 through 8 were found to be overweight, and another 14.7% were at risk for becoming overweight. With the exception of sixth grade, there was a trend of increasing prevalence of overweight by grade (17.5% in grade 1 compared with 31.3% in grade 8). In the Child and Youth Prevalence of Overweight Survey, 25.2% of students in grades 6 through 8 were found to be overweight, compared with 18.5% in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. CONCLUSION: A high percentage of students in Mississippi are already overweight in first grade, and the prevalence tends to increase by grade. Data collected from middle school students through measured heights and weights in the Child and Youth Prevalence of Overweight Survey were higher than self-reported data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Our data suggest that self-reported data underestimate the prevalence of overweight among middle school students. Efforts to monitor students' body mass index and assess effectiveness of interventions should include all grades and use measured heights and weights rather than self-reports.

Child↗

PubMed1993

[A study on the prevalence of bronchial asthma in school children in western districts of Japan--comparison between the studies in 1982 and in 1992 with the same methods and same districts. The Study Group of the Prevalence of Bronchial Asthma, the West Japan Study Group of Bronchial Asthma].

UNLABELLED: The prevalence of bronchial asthma in school children was examined both in 1982 (55,388 children) and in 1992 (45,674 children) in 11 western districts of Japan. Both studies were conducted with the same Japanese version of a modified ATS-DLD children's questionnaire in the same districts. RESULTS: 1) The study in 1992 established a prevalence rate of 5.6% in males and 3.5% in females with an overall average of 4.6%, which was 1.4 times higher than that of 10 years ago. The higher prevalence was observed in every grade of school children and in all districts. 2) The study in 1992 showed no differences based on the grades of the school children were in. The prevalence rate in males was 1.6 times higher than that in females with fewer regional differences than in the 1982 study. 3) Higher prevalence rates were found in those who had histories of respiratory diseases during their infancy, family histories of allergic disease or who lived in urban areas. The prevalence rate was 13.3% in children living in urban areas with family histories of bronchial asthma. 4) The prevalence rate of wheezing was 5.2%, which was 1.3 times higher than that of 10 years ago. The rate had increased in every district, but it decreased as the children moved into higher grades.

Age Factors↗