[Frequency of asthma and allergies in Italian children and adolescents: results from SIDRIA-2]

The present study investigated the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis (both to pollen and to other causes) and eczema in Italian children (6-7 yr old) and adolescents (13-14 yr old) in the second phase of SIDRIA (2002), aiming also to highlight geographical differences in the prevalence of the studied diseases. Prevalence of lifetime asthma is 9.3% in children and 10.3% in adolescents; lifetime prevalences of allergic rhinitis and eczema are 12.3% and 15.9% in children, 20.9% and 11.9% in adolescents. In both age groups, prevalence of lifetime asthma and lifetime and past 12 months wheezing was greater in central than in northern and southern areas. A similar situation was also seen for allergic rhinitis but not for eczema whose prevalence decreased between North to South of Italy. An excess in prevalence of lifetime asthma and rhinitis was found in metropolitan areas compared to other areas; prevalence of eczema did not show any difference by urbanization level. Prevalence of asthma and, only in children, prevalence of rhinitis symptoms was greater in males than in females. On the contrary, prevalence of eczema and, only in adolescents, prevalence of rhinitis symptoms was greater in females. Prevalence of childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in Italy ranks intermediate with respect to other countries participating in ISAAC phase three.