Press release

Wide variance in asthma rates

p. 1824  Prevalence of asthma, rhinitis and eczema among children in 2 Canadian cities: the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood — Brian F. Habbick, MB, ChB, et al [full text]

An international comparison of asthma and allergy rates among children has uncovered some interesting differences between 2 Canadian cities.

The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood found that 17.2% of 6- and 7-year-old children in Hamilton have asthma, compared with a rate of only 11.2% in Saskatoon. The study found a similar difference among 13- and 14-year-old children, with a rate of 19.2% in Hamilton compared with 11.2% in Saskatoon.

The study provides a standard methodology that allows researchers anywhere to determine the prevalence and the severity of asthma, rhinitis and eczema among children living in different regions. The asthma rates in Hamilton and Saskatoon — the only 2 Canadian cities studied — were high but comparable to rates reported in parts of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. The study also found that the prevalence of eczema was slightly higher in Saskatoon than in Hamilton.

The Canadian authors recommend further research into regional variations of prevalence rates for asthma that focus on differences in humidity — identified in some studies as a potential factor for increasing asthma rates — climatic conditions, air quality and exposure to house dust mites, mould and cockroaches.

p. 1830  Do physicians assess lifestyle health risks during general medical examinations? A survey of general practitioners and obstetrician-gynecologists in Quebec — B. Maheux, MD, PhD; et al [full text]

p. 1849  Should physicians assess lifestyle risk factors routinely — C.p. Herbert, MD [full text]

Physicians play an important role in promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing disease through health-risk screening and by advising patients on ways to live healthier lives. The first step is finding out where patients need help, which depends on proper screening practices.

In their study of 805 general practitioners and 158 obstetrician-gynecologists in Quebec, Brigitte Maheux and colleagues found that GPs were more likely than Ob-Gyns to ask patients about tobacco use, alcohol consumption and illicit drug use. Ob-Gyns were much more likely to assess condom use, but both GPs and Ob-Gyns routinely failed to assess sexual orientation, number of sexual partners and the risk of sexually transmitted disease. The authors also found that most physicians in both groups failed to screen routinely for family violence and sexual abuse. The authors recommend that since many physicians reported they found it difficult to talk to patients about many of these issues, more medical education in lifestyle risk management is needed.

In a related editorial, Dr. Carol Herbert, who will take over as dean of medicine and dentristry at the University of Western Ontario in September, says physicians need consistent messages to pass to patients to achieve the best results. She adds that many guidelines used by physicians offer conflicting recommendations and this may contribute to the confusion about which issues should be addressed with which patients.

p. 1843  Fatal work-related farm injuries in Canada, 1991-1995 — William Pickett, PhD; et al [full text]

Suspicions that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations persist, and some countries have already completed studies proving this fact. However, until the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP) was launched in 1996 there was no way to track farm injuries nationally and no way of knowing how great a toll fatal farm injuries played in this country.

Using data gathered by CAISP, William Pickett and colleagues found that 503 Canadians died from work-related farm injuries between 1991 and 1995. The overall death rate of 11.6 per 100 000 farm population makes agriculture the fourth most dangerous industry in Canada, behind only mining, logging and forestry, and construction. Men, particularly men older than 60 years of age, were the most susceptible to fatal farm injuries, and farm owner-operators accounted for 60.2% of all people killed.

The authors caution that their findings are likely conservative and that the true number of farm-related deaths may be much higher. They recommend that injury-prevention specialists focus on high-risk populations and on specific hazards posed by agricultural vehicles and machinery.