[Increase in asthma prevalence among young children in France]

Abstract

Introduction: Few data on change over time of asthma prevalence in French children are available.

Methods: Data from the 2012-2013 national health survey of schoolchildren conducted in a random sample of almost 20,000 children in the last year of nursery school were compared to those which had been collected in 2005-2006 in the same grade level using the same methodology.

Results: In the 2012-2013 survey, children had a lifetime prevalence of asthma of 11.0% with 11.8% reporting wheezing in the preceding year. Asthma was more frequent and more often uncontrolled in children from families with low socioeconomic status. Compared to the survey conducted in the same grade level in 2005-2006, the prevalence ratios adjusted for children's gender and obesity, family structure, parental unemployment and region were 1.13 [1.05-1.21] for lifetime asthma and 1.12 [1.05-1.17] for past-year wheezing.

Conclusion: In France, the prevalence of asthma in young children increased between 2005 and 2012. The socioeconomic status of children's parents affects both asthma prevalence and control.

Keywords: Asthma; Asthme; Children; Enfants; France; Prevalence; Prévalence; Tendances temporelles; Time trend.