Biomaterial Database

[Prevalence of somatic diseases in German children and adolescents. Results of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS)]. 2007

P Kamtsiuris, and K Atzpodien, and U Ellert, and R Schlack, and M Schlaud

Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, BRD. KamtsiurisP@rki.de

In the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), which was conducted from 2003 to 2006, data on acute/infectious and chronic diseases were collected from a population-based sample of 17,641 subjects aged 0 to 17 years. The annual prevalence rates among acute diseases vary widely. Children and adolescents are most frequently affected by acute (infectious) respiratory conditions. 88.5 % of the surveyed children and adolescents experienced at least one episode of common cold within the last 12 months. Among the other acute respiratory infections, bronchitis and tonsillitis were the most frequently encountered conditions with 19.9 % and 18.5 %, respectively. The 12-month prevalence of otitis media and pseudocroup was 11 % and 6.6 %, respectively. 1.5 % of the children and adolescents experienced an episode of pneumonia. Apart from respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections were very frequently stated as reasons for acute illness. Furthermore, 12.8 % of the children and adolescents experienced a herpetic infection, 7.8 % a conjunctivitis and 4.8 % a urinary tract infection. Lifetime prevalence rates of infectious diseases were as follows: pertussis 8.7 %, measles 7.4 %, mumps 4.0 %, rubella 8.5 %, varicella 70.6 %, scarlet fever 23.5 %. The various chronic somatic diseases in children and adolescents had different lifetime prevalence rates. Most frequently, children and adolescents were affected by obstructive bronchitis (13.3 %), neurodermatitis/atopic eczema (13.2 %) and hay fever (10.7 %). Scoliosis and asthma had been diagnosed by a doctor in 5.2 % and 4.7 % of subjects aged 0-17 years, respectively. The lifetime prevalence rates of the remaining diseases varied between 0.14 % for diabetes mellitus and 3.6 % for convulsions/epileptic fits. For the first time ever, these survey results provide nationwide representative information on the prevalence rates of acute/infectious and chronic diseases in children and adolescents which is based on a population-representative sample.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D003141	Communicable Diseases	An illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxins that occurs through the direct or indirect transmission of the infectious agent or its products from an infected individual or via an animal, vector or the inanimate environment to a susceptible animal or human host.	Infectious Diseases,Communicable Disease,Disease, Communicable,Disease, Infectious,Diseases, Communicable,Diseases, Infectious,Infectious Disease
D003430	Cross-Sectional Studies	Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time.	Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D004641	Emigration and Immigration	The process of leaving one's country to establish residence in a foreign country.	Immigration,Labor Migration,Border Crossing,Chain Migration,Emigration,In-Migration,International Migration,Out-Migration,Return Migration,Settlement and Resettlement,Temporary Migration,Turnaround Migration,Border Crossings,Chain Migrations,Crossing, Border,Crossings, Border,Emigrations,Immigration and Emigration,Immigrations,In Migration,In-Migrations,International Migrations,Labor Migrations,Migration, Chain,Migration, International,Migration, Labor,Migration, Return,Migration, Temporary,Migration, Turnaround,Migrations, Chain,Migrations, International,Migrations, Labor,Migrations, Return,Migrations, Temporary,Migrations, Turnaround,Out Migration,Out-Migrations,Resettlement and Settlement,Return Migrations,Temporary Migrations,Turnaround Migrations
D005260	Female		Females
D005858	Germany	A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.