The prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Town

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dc.contributor.authorNagel, Frederick Ottoen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-30T14:04:15Z
dc.date.available2018-01-30T14:04:15Z
dc.date.issued1993en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe author participated in an international survey organised by the British Medical Research Council (MRC) epidemiological unit in Cardiff, Wales which set out to compare the prevalence of asthma in several countries. The motivation for participating in this study was that very little previous prevalence data for asthma is available for coloured or white children in South Africa. A protocol designed by the British MRC Epidaemiology Unit was followed. One thousand one hundred and seventy four white children aged 12 years attending a random selection of primary schools in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town were studied. A standard MRC questionnaire on asthma was completed by parents. The subjects then underwent an exercise challenge test (ECT) which involved running on the level for six minutes. During the ECT, we measured the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEVl) before and after the exercise. A fall in post exercise FEVl of 15% or greater was regarded as evidence of bronchoconstriction and considered diagnostic of asthma. This method is thought to identify 70-90% of asthmatics (Anderson 1985, Lee et al 1989, Pierson 1988). Using this criterion, 52 (4.4%) of the children had asthma. The prevalence of 4.4% in this study is higher than 3.1% reported in a previous study of black children in Guguletu (Van Niekerk et al, Clinical Allergy 1979). However, the age spectrum of children was different in that study. Terblanche et al (1990) report the prevalence of exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in white and coloured children to be 5.87% and 4.05% respectively. The level of FEVl reduction for a diagnosis of EIB approved for this study was lower than usually accepted. Using conventional criteria for a diagnosis of EIB, Burr et al (1989) reported a prevalence of 7.7% in Cardiff, Wales. This study confirms that exercise induced asthma is a common problem in 12-year old white children in Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationNagel, F. O. (1993). <i>The prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Town</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27154en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationNagel, Frederick Otto. <i>"The prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Town."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27154en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationNagel, F. 1993. The prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Nagel, Frederick Otto AB - The author participated in an international survey organised by the British Medical Research Council (MRC) epidemiological unit in Cardiff, Wales which set out to compare the prevalence of asthma in several countries. The motivation for participating in this study was that very little previous prevalence data for asthma is available for coloured or white children in South Africa. A protocol designed by the British MRC Epidaemiology Unit was followed. One thousand one hundred and seventy four white children aged 12 years attending a random selection of primary schools in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town were studied. A standard MRC questionnaire on asthma was completed by parents. The subjects then underwent an exercise challenge test (ECT) which involved running on the level for six minutes. During the ECT, we measured the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEVl) before and after the exercise. A fall in post exercise FEVl of 15% or greater was regarded as evidence of bronchoconstriction and considered diagnostic of asthma. This method is thought to identify 70-90% of asthmatics (Anderson 1985, Lee et al 1989, Pierson 1988). Using this criterion, 52 (4.4%) of the children had asthma. The prevalence of 4.4% in this study is higher than 3.1% reported in a previous study of black children in Guguletu (Van Niekerk et al, Clinical Allergy 1979). However, the age spectrum of children was different in that study. Terblanche et al (1990) report the prevalence of exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in white and coloured children to be 5.87% and 4.05% respectively. The level of FEVl reduction for a diagnosis of EIB approved for this study was lower than usually accepted. Using conventional criteria for a diagnosis of EIB, Burr et al (1989) reported a prevalence of 7.7% in Cardiff, Wales. This study confirms that exercise induced asthma is a common problem in 12-year old white children in Cape Town. DA - 1993 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1993 T1 - The prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Town TI - The prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Town UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27154 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/27154
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationNagel FO. The prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, 1993 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27154en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Healthen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherAsthma - in infancy and childhooden_ZA
dc.subject.otherepidemiologyen_ZA
dc.titleThe prevalence of childhood asthma in white primary schoolchildren in the southern suburbs of Cape Townen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMMeden_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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