Childhood asthma in Batumi, Georgia: Prevalence and environmental correlates.

Objective: A relative lack of data for Eastern Europe and unknown epidemiology of childhood asthma in Batumi (Georgia) justified a study aimed at determining the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and related respiratory conditions, a comparison of the prevalence of these conditions between urban and rural children, and identification of their environmental correlates.

Methods: Subjects of the cross-sectional population-based study were 3238 urban and 2081 rural children aged 5-17 years whose respiratory status was assessed using the ISAAC questionnaire.

Results: The overall prevalence of asthma was larger in rural children than in urban children (2.