Prevalence of Severe Asthma Symptoms in Irish School Children
Author Information
Author(s): Zubair Kabir, Patrick J. Manning, Jean Holohan, Patrick G. Goodman, Luke Clancy
Primary Institution: Tobacco Free Research Institute, Dublin, Ireland
Hypothesis
What are the changing patterns in symptoms of severe asthma and allergies among Irish school children from 1995 to 2007?
Conclusion
The study found a significant increase in symptoms of severe asthma among Irish school children from 1995 to 2007.
Supporting Evidence
- A 39% significant increase in symptoms of severe asthma was observed in 2007 compared to 1995.
- The prevalence of symptoms of severe asthma increased from 12% in 1995 to 15.3% in 2007.
- Allergies showed a decline in prevalence in 2007 after an initial rise.
- The study included a total of 10,647 participants across four survey years.
Takeaway
This study shows that more kids in Ireland are having serious asthma symptoms now than they did in the past.
Methodology
The study used a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire survey of randomly selected post-primary schools in Ireland.
Potential Biases
Potential for over or under-reporting of symptoms due to self-reporting.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, which limits causal inferences, and relies on self-reported health outcomes.
Participant Demographics
School children aged 13–14 years from various post-primary schools in Ireland.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0001
Confidence Interval
1.14–1.69
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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