European Respiratory Journal
Volume 18, Issue 3, 2001, Pages 459-465

Symptoms of asthma, bronchial responsiveness and atopy in immigrants and emigrants in Europe (Article) (Open Access)

Tobias A. , Soriano J.B. , Chinn S. , Anto J.M. , Sunyer J. , Burney P.*
  • a Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Kings College, St. Thomas' School of Medicine, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, United Kingdom
  • b Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Kings College, St. Thomas' School of Medicine, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, United Kingdom
  • c Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Kings College, St. Thomas' School of Medicine, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, United Kingdom
  • d Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Kings College, St. Thomas' School of Medicine, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, United Kingdom
  • e Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Kings College, St. Thomas' School of Medicine, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, United Kingdom
  • f Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Kings College, St. Thomas' School of Medicine, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD, United Kingdom

Abstract

Migration studies on asthma may provide information on its environmental causes. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey has potential advantages due to the number of countries involved, standardized collection of information, assessment of directionality of migration, and availability of physiological data on bronchial responsiveness and atopy. Prevalence rates of symptoms associated with asthma were compared for immigrants, emigrants and nonmigrants living in centres mostly in western Europe. Similar analyses were carried out for bronchial responsiveness (provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second and slope) and atopy. Medication and use of health services were also explored. Overall, 1,678 (8.6%) of 19,516 participants were immigrants in the 18 countries participating in the study, of whom 581 were emigrants from one of the participating countries. Rates of asthma symptoms were higher in immigrants (odds ratio (OR): 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00-1.51) and emigrants (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 0.96-1.51) compared to nonmigrants after controlling for area, sex, age and smoking status. However, bronchial responsiveness and atopy were equally distributed between immigrants, emigrants and nonmigrants. Use of health services was observed to be similar in migrants and nonmigrants with asthma. In the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, migrants reported more asthma symptoms, but had similar bronchial responsiveness, atopy, and use of health services when compared with the nonmigrant population.

Author Keywords

Migration Bronchial responsiveness European Community Respiratory healthcare Asthma Health survey Atopy

Index Keywords

information processing symptomatology immigrant methylxanthine antihistaminic agent beta 2 adrenergic receptor stimulating agent steroid bronchodilating agent muscarinic receptor blocking agent physiology Europe human forced expiratory volume Odds Ratio health service controlled study priority journal bronchus hyperreactivity geographic distribution Logistic Models Western Europe concentration (parameters) standardization Cross-Sectional Studies Humans smoking atopy male asthma female environmental factor medical information health services prevalence Article Questionnaires adult gender migration major clinical study age data analysis Emigration and Immigration vaccine
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0034824547&doi=10.1183%2f09031936.01.00026501&partnerID=40&md5=d538d02d14ed1cca2b568a27542bda0e
DOI: 10.1183/09031936.01.00026501
ISSN: 09031936
Cited by: 39
Original Language: English