Very low prevalence of asthma and allergies in schoolchildren from rural Beijing, China

Background The prevalence of asthma is relatively low in the Chinese population. There is consistent evidence that growing up on a farm is associated with protection against the subsequent development of asthma. Objective To compare the prevalence of asthma in schoolchildren from urban and rural China and to assess the possible protection associated with agricultural and livestock farming. Methods Random samples of schoolchildren aged 13–14 years from urban Beijing and rural area around Beijing were studied using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase III protocol. Subjects were studied by questionnaires (n = 7,077) and skin‐prick tests (n = 2,126). Results The prevalence rates of wheeze in the past year and physicians' diagnosis of asthma were 1.0% and 1.1% in the rural area, and these were significantly lower than 7.2% and 6.3% found in the urban children (P