Asthma is not Prevalent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children: A Myth

Retrospective review of 200 children hospitalised with acute asthma. Identification of intervention points: A single centre study

“…It was previously thought that asthma was rare in Indigenous children living in rural and remote regions . Our studies have shown that this belief is misleading . Of the 200 children in this study, 31% were Indigenous.…”

Stable prevalence of asthma symptoms in school‐aged children in the Torres Strait region

“…Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (also referred to as Indigenous), data on asthma prevalence are sparse and controversial. 3 Recent reports from different regions of Australia showed high prevalence (up to 39.4%). [4][5][6][7] A relatively large Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population-based crosssectional study on the prevalence of asthma found that in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area the prevalence of asthma was as high as that of non-Indigenous groups.…”

“…The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) 1 conducted in 38 countries found that Australian children have one of the highest prevalence rates of asthma; the prevalence of wheezing in the past 12 months was 24.6% for 6‐ to 7‐year‐olds and 29.4% for 13‐ to 14‐year‐olds 2 . Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (also referred to as Indigenous), data on asthma prevalence are sparse and controversial 3 . Recent reports from different regions of Australia showed high prevalence (up to 39.4%) 4–7 .…”