RESPIRATORY DISORDERS IN SEVEN‐YEAR‐OLD CHILDREN IN TASMANIA AIMS, METHODS AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SURVEY

Abstract

In 1968, under the auspices of the Asthma Foundation of Tasmania, approximately 8,600 children, comprising all those born in 1961, were surveyed in order to detect disorders of the upper and lower respiratory tract. The organization, administration and design are described, the standardized methods of examination briefly outlined, and the questionnaires concerning the respiratory medical history of the child, his parents and siblings are reproduced. The distinction of normal from abnormal is based essentially on objective criteria, including spirometry, supplemented by information supplied by parents and school teachers. This approach excludes assumptions related to preconceived notions of nosological categories, and permits an appraisal of the validity of clinical concepts. It is proposed to repeat the survey on selected samples of the same population at intervals, and to study a sample of a further cohort (1965) in four years’ time.