Suchergebnisse

The aim of this study was to assess the long-term time trends of the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema in young Finnish men. A retrospective analysis was carried out on cross-sectional data from the Finnish Defence Forces taken from call-up examinations of candidates for military conscription and examinations of conscripts discharged from service because of poor health. Roughly 1.7 million men aged 18.19 years (98% of men of conscription age) were examined from 1966 to 2017. A proportional but unknown number of young men were examined from 1926 to 1961. The main outcome measures were asthma recorded at call-up examination as the main diagnosis in 1926-2017 and any diagnosis in 1997-2017, exemption or discharge from military service due to asthma, and allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema recorded as the main diagnosis in 1966-2017 and any diagnosis in 1997-2017. During 1926-1961 the prevalence of asthma remained low at between 0.02% and 0.08%. A linear rise began between 1961 and 1966, with a 12-fold increase in the prevalence from 0.29% in 1966 to 3.44% in 2001. Thereafter, the prevalence of asthma as the main diagnosis stabilised but continued to increase to 5.19% in 2017 if secondary diagnoses of asthma were included. Exemption rates from military service due to asthma have similarly increased but fluctuated more. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis increased from 0.06% to 10.70% and atopic eczema from 0.15% to 2.90% during the period 1966-2017. In Finland, an increase in asthma and allergic conditions among young men became evident in the mid-1960s. The increase slowed in the 2000s and may be levelling off in the 2020s. ; Peer reviewed