Introduction: In the year 1990 the European Community Respiratory Health Survey I (ECRHS I) demonstrated that the prevalence of these diseases was lowest in Iceland (www.ecrhs.org). In order to compare the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in Reykjavik over time, a new identical cross-sectional study was performed seventeen years later.

Material and methods: Both cohorts, were in the age group 20-44 years and randomly selected from the population in Reykjavik and suburbs. Both answered questionnaires about respiratory symptoms, nasal allergy and use of anti-asthmatic drugs. The second cohort was part of the EuroPrevall study (www.europrevall.org) performed in 2007.

Results: Response rate was lower in 2007 (999 or 43.2%) than in 1990 (2.903 or 80.6%).The prevalence of attacks of asthma increased over time from 2.2% to 6.7% (p<0.0001), use of anti-asthmatic drugs increased from 2.4% to 7.2% (p<0.0001) and nasal allergy symptoms from 17.8% to 29.3% (p< 0.0001). There was an increase of all respiratory symptoms except wheezing or whistling, where the prevalence dropped from 18.0% to 14.4% (p<0.01). In the year 2007 women had more often been woken by attacks of coughing (p<0.0001), had more often attacks of asthma (p<0.05) and were more likely to use anti-asthmatic drugs (p<0.05) than men. Attacks of asthma and the use of anti-asthmatic drugs were more common among the younger age group in the year 2007. That was not seen in the year 1990.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence of an increase in respiratory symptoms and use of anti-asthmatic drugs over a period of 17 years from 1990 among young adult Icelanders.

Figure 1. Comparisation of prevalence of symptoms and age.

Table I. Comparisation of prevalence of symptoms 1990 and 2007.

Table II. Gender difference of symptoms.