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Cited by 79Asthma and respiratory diseasesOccupational exposure and asthmaChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research

Prevalence of severe childhood asthma according to the WHO

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Nordlund, Björn, Melén, Erik, Schultz, Erica S., Grönlund, Hans, Hedlin, Gunilla, Kull, Inger·2014·Respiratory Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.rmed.2014.05.015
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Abstract

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) recently proposed a new definition of severe asthma to facilitate standardized characterization of patients, and enable more accurate estimations of the prevalence of severe asthma. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of severe asthma according to the WHO definition in children aged 12 years, in Stockholm, Sweden.Methods The birth cohort BAMSE enrolled 4089 children during 1994-96. Parental questionnaires provided information on asthma-related symptoms, diagnosis and medication from 3015 enrolled children at the age of 12 years. Severe asthma was defined as the presence of asthma, as well as continuous treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-2 agonists, based on information from the Swedish prescribed drug register demonstrating prescriptions of at least 800 μg budesonide daily (or equivalent).Results The prevalence of asthma was 11% among 12-year-olds (n = 329). Based on information from the Swedish prescribed drug register, seven children with asthma fulfilled the definition of severe asthma. The estimated prevalence corresponds to 0.23% (95% CI, 0.06-0.4) of the population, or 2.1% (95% CI, 0.5-3.7) of children with asthma. Based on assessed markers of asthma control, 3/7 with severe asthma were considered to have controlled asthma and 4/7 had partly or uncontrolled asthma.Conclusion Severe asthma appears rare both among 12-year-old schoolchildren with asthma and in the general population. Combining self-reported information from a population-based birth cohort with data from a drug register seems trustworthy in estimating severe asthma as defined by the WHO.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.rmed.2014.05.015

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  • In a Swedish birth cohort, only seven of 329 12-year old asthmatic children had severe asthma as defined by WHO, suggesting a prevalence of 0.23% in the general population and 2.1% among children with asthma.

    “For example, in a birth cohort in Sweden, only seven of 329 12-year old asthmatic children had severe asthma as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) (41), suggesting a prevalence of 0.23% in the general population and 2.1% among children with asthma (42).”

    From Epidemiology of Asthma in Children and Adults (2019) · cites this paper as [42]

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Authors
Nordlund, B., Melén, E., Schultz, E. S., Grönlund, H., Hedlin, G., & Kull, I.
Affiliations
  • Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
Corresponding author
Nordlund, Björn
ORCID
Venue
Respiratory Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-08
Volume
108
Issue
8
Pages
1234-1237
ISSN
0954-6111 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.rmed.2014.05.015
OpenAlex
W2037420723
Cited by
79
References
17
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1
FWCI
2.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Respiratory Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • The Freemason Child House Foundation in Stockholm
  • Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association's Research Fund
  • Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation
  • Queen Silvia of Sweden Anniversary Fund
  • Stiftelsen Samariten
  • Karolinska Institutet
  • Stockholm County Council
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational exposure and asthma
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research
Keywords
severe asthma, childhood asthma, asthma prevalence, inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta2-agonists, asthma control, BAMSE birth cohort, elementary school students
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Asthma, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Sweden, Cohort Studies, Prevalence

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