Risk factors for asthma in schoolchildren in Southern Brazil.

Background: Due to the high prevalence of recurrent wheezing in the pediatric population, it is important to be able to identify environmental risk factors that may affect the etiology of asthma in several regions.

Objective: to identify possible risk factors associated with asthma in children (9-12 years old) in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Material And Methods: A total of 1003 school-age children were selected for the cross-sectional study by applying a standardized written questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergy, and a supplementary questionnaire (ISAAC phase II) was added to address personal, family and environmental factors.