Prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms in rural areas of Iran in 2000

Objectives: The aims of the present study were to measure the population prevalence of symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, obstructive lung disease and non-specific respiratory symptoms in randomly selected rural communities in south-west Isfahan, Iran. Methodology: Nine hundred and ninety-four subjects from a total of 1127 villagers (88.2% response rate) took part in a medical interview conducted by interns from the Isfahan Medical School. Results: The mean (+/-SD) age of the population surveyed was 25.21 +/- 17.55 years and the smoking rate was 7.2%. The self-reported prevalence rates for current asthma, chronic bronchitis, nonspecific exercise-induced cough and night cough were 6.1, 4.4, 13.3 and 11.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Asthma, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory disorders in rural Isfahan are more prevalent than expected for a young rural population with low smoking rates. The cause of this should be investigated.