Parents and pupils quizzed for asthma study
Thousands of questionnaires are being given to Aberdeen primary school pupils for a major asthma research study which first began 40 years ago.
The University of Aberdeen is heading the project, which is being funded by Asthma UK, and which aims to identify and keep track of trends in the illness among school age children.
This particular research programme first began in 1964 when primary pupils in the city boundary were asked to take part in a survey. Similar surveys were conducted in schools in the same catchment area in 1989, 1994 and 1999.
More than 5,000 pupils at city schools, which have agreed to take part, should receive questionnaires this week and next.
Dr Geraldine McNeill, a research fellow at the University, is co-ordinating the study. She said: "There are three questions we want to get answers too. The first is whether the increase in asthma and related allergic diseases such as eczema and hay fever has continued or levelled off.
"In the past we have seen a big rise in girls with asthma compared with boys - now nearly as many girls have asthma as boys. The second question is whether the difference between boys and girls has now disappeared.
"And third, we want to compare trends in allergic wheeze with trends in wheeze which only occurs with a cold, which showed no increase in the past surveys."
Dr McNeill is hoping all parents of pupils who receive questionnaires will take the time to fill them in. She said: "Previously we've always had a very high response to our surveys and we're hoping it'll be the same this time round.
"It's very important that all the forms are filled in, regardless of whether the child has asthma or not. That's the only way we can accurately know about trends.
"This is no diagnostic benefit in completing our questionnaires, but filling them in is of huge benefit not just to asthma researchers here, but to researchers all over the world. Aberdeen is unique in that nowhere else has data on the condition that goes back to 1964."
Shona Haslam, Campaign Manager for Asthma UK Scotland, added: "The research being undertaken in Aberdeen is vital because it is so unique.
"Asthma UK recognise the importance of this research in identifying trends in childhood asthma in 9 to 11-year-olds, allowing us to gain an accurate and comparable picture of current asthma levels in Scotland.
"Asthma UK commends the Aberdeen team for this incredibly important body of research and looks forward to the results of the latest survey."