Prevalence of symptoms of @entity565 and XXXX in schoolchildren in Gondar town and its vicinity, northwest Ethiopia.

@entity1 @entity66 @entity2488 @entity565 @entity566 @entity2490 @entity56 @entity74 @entity2024 @entity484
A low level of @entity56 has been generally reported in @entity1 from developing countries. A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of symptoms of @entity565 and @entity566 among schoolchildren in Gondar, northwest Ethiopia. A standardized self-administered questionnaire developed by the International Study of @entity566 in @entity1 (ISAAC) was used. In total, 3,365 @entity1 aged 13-14 years were surveyed at school, with a response rate of 98.4%. The female to male ratio was 1.5:1. The 12-month-period prevalences of wheeze (16.2%), rhino- @entity2024 (14.5%), and @entity484 (10.9%) were comparable to findings from Addis Ababa, but significantly higher than reported from Jimma. A striking seasonal pattern of @entity2490 symptoms is observed during the months of September-December with a peak in November, corresponding with the main pollen season of the area. Overall, about 36% of the @entity1 reported symptoms of @entity74 . However, the prevalence of diagnosed @entity66 (8.6%) is less than a quarter of the symptom prevalence rate. This may reflect a generally poor awareness and low health service utilization, or underdiagnosis by health facilities. In conclusion, it appears that the prevalence of @entity66 in Gondar area is high, and there is also wide variation within the country. This calls for further epidemiological studies with more objective assessments of atopy, such as allergen and @entity2488 and ecological analysis.
