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Review
. 2014 Mar;32(1):114-25.
doi: 10.1590/s0103-05822014000100018.

Asthma in children and adolescents in Brazil: contribution of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)

Dirceu Solé  1 , Inês Cristina Camelo-Nunes  1 , Gustavo Falbo Wandalsen  1 , Marcia Carvalho Mallozi  1
Affiliations
Review

Asthma in children and adolescents in Brazil: contribution of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)

Dirceu Solé et al. Rev Paul Pediatr. 2014 Mar.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Objective: To assess asthma among Brazilian pediatric population applying the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), an internationally standardized and validated protocol.

Data sources: ISAAC was conceived to maximize the value of epidemiologic studies on asthma and allergic diseases, establishing a standardized method (self-applicable written questionnaire and/or video questionnaire) capable to facilitate the international collaboration. Designed to be carried out in three successive and dependent phases, the ISAAC gathered a casuistic hitherto unimaginable in the world and in Brazil. This review included data gathered from ISAAC official Brazilian centers and others who used this method.

Data synthesis: At the end of the first phase, it has been documented that the prevalence of asthma among Brazilian schoolchildren was the eighth among all centers participating all over the world. Few centers participated in the second phase and investigated possible etiological factors, especially those suggested by the first phase, and brought forth many conjectures. The third phase, repeated seven years later, assessed the evolutionary trend of asthma and allergic diseases prevalence in centers that participated simultaneously in phases I and III and in other centers not involved in phase I.

Conclusions: In Brazil, the ISAAC study showed that asthma is a disease of high prevalence and impact in children and adolescents and should be seen as a Public Health problem. Important regional variations, not well understood yet, and several risk factors were found, which makes us wonder: is there only one or many asthmas in Brazil?

Objetivo:: Evaluar el asma en la población pediátrica brasileña por el protocolo del International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), internacionalmente estandarizado y validado.

Fuentes de datos: : El ISAAC, idealizado para maximizar el valor de estudios epidemiológicos en asma y enfermedades alérgicas, estableció un método estandarizado (cuestionario escrito autoaplicable y/o video-cuestionario) capaz de facilitar la colaboración internacional. Concebido para realizarse en tres etapas sucesivas y dependientes, el ISAAC reunió una casuística hasta entonces inimaginable en el mundo y en Brasil. En esta visión, se reunieron los datos de centros brasileños oficiales del ISAAC y de otros que emplean su método.

Síntesis de los datos:: Finalizada la primera etapa, la prevalencia de asma entre escolares brasileños fue documentada como la octava en magnitud entre todos los centros participantes del estudio. Los pocos centros involucrados en la segunda etapa investigaron posibles factores etiológicos, especialmente aquellos sugeridos por los resultados de la primera etapa, y generaron muchas especulaciones. La tercera etapa, repetida tras siete años, evaluó la tendencia evolutiva de la prevalencia de asma y de las enfermedades alérgicas en los centros participantes simultáneamente en las etapas I y III y determinó la prevalencia en otros no involucrados en la etapa I.

Conclusiones:: En Brasil, el ISAAC demostró, de modo definitivo, que el asma es una enfermedad de alta prevalencia e impacto en niños y adolescentes, debiendo ser encarada como problema de Salud Pública. Se encontraron importantes variaciones regionales, todavía no bien aclaradas, así como diversos factores de riesgo, lo que nos hace cuestionar: ¿hay en Brasil una o muchas asmas?

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflito de interesse: nada a declarar

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