Allergic disease in 6– 7- year- old schoolchildren in Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran

To determine the prevalence and risk factors of wheeze, eczema and rhinitis in 6–7- yearold schoolchildren in Urmia, the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire was given to the parents of 2999 student. Prevalence rates for wheeze, rhinitis and eczema in the previous 12 months were 9.4%, 9.8% and 2.7% respectively. The parents of only 12.8% of the children with current wheeze reported them as having asthma. The main risk factors for wheeze were male sex, presence of rhinitis or eczema, and smoking in the home. Prevalence of asthma and other allergic disease was lower than in industrialized countries and underdiagnosis of asthma was common.