There is a lack of asthma research in Belarus, with no investigation of temporal trends. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of asthma and related conditions comparing urban and rural children while investigating temporal changes in the region of Grodno, Belarus. A repeated cross-sectional survey design was used. Parents completed surveys on behalf of the child. Data collection was based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) survey and included 5020 urban and rural children aged 7-15 years in 2009-2010 and 4953 children in 2014 from the Grodno Region. Asthma prevalence in 2009 was 1.4% compared with 1.8% in 2014, whereas spastic bronchitis prevalence was higher (2009: 6.8%; 2014: 8.5%). After adjustment for confounders, rural dwelling showed a statistically significant inverse association with each of the allergic conditions or symptoms. However, asthma (odds ratio [OR] = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.69-1.50) was not associated with rural dwelling. A diagnosis of asthma was more likely in 2014 compared with 2009 (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.05-2.33), as was spastic bronchitis (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.06-1.51). Maternal smoking was associated with the presence of respiratory symptoms. The data showed that the prevalence of diagnosed asthma was comparable between urban and rural areas but lower than other regions, there was generally an increase in the prevalence of asthma and related conditions, and that temporal changes did not vary by urban-rural status. The prevalence of spastic bronchitis was over 3 times higher than that of asthma. These findings also suggest that the presence of undiagnosed asthma in children is occurring in the Grodno Region.
Keywords: Asthma; child health; epidemiology; international health; temporal trends.