ISAAC Finland

Scope

Purpose

To determine differences in the prevalence and severity of asthma and allergic diseases among 13-14 year old Finnish children and determine risk factors for asthma.

Study population Children aged 13-15 years (in grades 7 and 8) at time of survey living in

• Helsinki capital area
  • Helsinki
  • Espoo
  • Vantaa
• County of Turku and Pori
• County of Kuopio
• Southern municipalities of Lapland
  • Kolari
  • Pello
  • Ylitornio
  • Keminmaa
  • Tervola
  • Simo
  • Ranua
  • Posio
  • Kemijärvi and Salla
  • Tornio
  • Kemi
  • Rovaniemi (and surrounding rural municipality)

Survey period

• All areas except Capital area 1 November 1994 to 12 April 1995
• Capital area 11 April 1995 to 18 December 1995 without summer holiday period

Questionnaires

• Child questionnaire included video questionnaire
• Parental questionnaire

Data on residential history

• We are asking for all locations from birth to today

Exposures

• Long-term exposure to PM2.5, ozone (possibly).
• Current plan
  • Year 1994-1995 PM2.5 (and ozone) concentrations
  • Use same concentration modelling for all Finland
  • Option 1
  • Concentration only for 1994-1995 and home address for that year
    • Long range transport concentrations from model
    • Dummy variables for distance to road, woodsmoke (based on location in area with domestic combustion)
  • Option 2
    • Concentration only for 1994-1995 and home address for that year
    • Concentrations from traffic, long range transport, wood smoke separately
  • Option 3
    • Concentration only for 1994-1995 and home address for that year
    • All residential history assigned pollutant concentrations from year 1994-1995 according to location (e.g. even if they were living somewhere else in 1985, the location of the 1985 address is given the concentration it would have in 1994-1995)

Outcomes

Incidence of asthma post-baseline questionnaire based on KELA register.