ASTHMA IN SECONDARY-SCHOOLS

The authors report the results of a survey undertaken in June 1993 concerning the incidence and consequences of: asthma in Marseilles secondary schools. After census and randomised sampling of pupils and schools, a questionnaire was sent to the parents of 362 2nd year (age around 13) children as well as to Head teachers, Physical Education and Sports (PES) leachers and nurses of nine secondary schools. The, incidence of asthma at the age of 13.5 could be estimated at 9.31 % (80.11 % response rate) with school absenteeism for illness five times greater in the << asthmatic >> group (22 as against 4.5 days during the school year). Attacks were usually rare and slight. Asthma was considered a minor problem by the majority of staff of the nine schools despite the onset of 26 attacks in a year. Self-help appeared to be the key word regarding sports activities. Only 30 % of PES teachers avoided exposing asthmatic children to endurance. Nurses reported difficulty in obtaining the treatments taken by pupils and generally did not have beta-2 mimetics in the infirmary. This survey confirms the high incidence of asthma in children and demonstrates the difficulties encountered in the management of this disease in a school context.