[Prevalence and asthma risk factors in municipalities of the State of Guerrero, Mexico].

Objective: To determine the incidence and the principal risk factors cause of asthma in scholar children between 4 to 6 years old and in adolescents students between 13 to 14 years old in six municipalities in Guerrero State, Mexico.

Material And Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 6,136 students (both groups) in the Acapulco municipality on the second semester of 1999 and with 1,128 students in municipalities near to Acapulco in the first semester of year 2000. The procedure was to use the questionnaire ISAAC to interview the mothers of the children between 4 to 6 years old, and apply directly interviews to the 12 to 14 years old group. The study was carried out in public school with the more social recognition.

Results: Asthma prevalence in the Acapulco municipality was 33.55%. Detected in girls 34.8% and 32.0% in boys. In the rural municipalities near Acapulco the asthma prevalence was of 31.8%. Detected in girls 34.0% and 29.2% in boys. One of the principal risk factory cause of incidence in the urban area of Acapulco was the presence of the cement factory. In the rural area near Acapulco the principal risk factor was the common presence of cotton toys. A very high asthma incidence was identified in the studied municipalities. The principal group affected was the students between 13 to 14 years old without a remarkable difference between gender in the urban areas.