Table 2

Annual incidence of asthma and wheeze and lower respiratory disease combined in children under 5 years and 5–14 years

Diagnosis	Year	1st diagnoses	Incidence per 1000	95% CI
Diagnosis	Year	Incident cases, n	Incidence per 1000	Lower	Upper
*Mantel-Haenszel χ², p<0.05.
Under 5 years old
Asthma*	March 1997	277	21.8	19.4	24.4
	March 1998	256	19.7	17.5	22.3
	March 1999	250	19.4	17.2	21.9
	March 2000	195	15.1	13.4	17.7
	March 2001	190	14.9	12.9	17.1
	March 2002	211	16.6	14.5	19.0
Wheeze*	March 1997	51	4.0	3.1	5.3
	March 1998	65	5.0	3.9	6.4
	March 1999	120	9.3	7.8	11.1
	March 2000	135	10.5	8.9	12.4
	March 2001	112	8.8	7.3	10.6
	March 2002	123	9.7	8.1	11.6
Diagnostic transfer*	March 1997	1007	66	51.04	84.00
Diagnostic transfer*	March 1998	1032	69.3	53.94	87.69
	March 1999	1024	86	68.78	106.24
	March 2000	1104	102.2	83.35	124.07
	March 2001	1161	104.1	85.06	126.15
	March 2002	1220	104.4	85.33	126.48
Combined symptoms and disease*	March 1997	1265	99.38	80.80	120.98
	March 1998	1291	99.48	80.89	121.08
	March 1999	1326	102.86	83.94	124.80
	March 2000	1353	104.96	85.84	127.09
	March 2001	1387	108.67	89.20	131.16
	March 2002	1450	114.24	94.25	137.24

5–14 years old
Asthma*	March 1997	360	13.1	11.8	14.5
	March 1998	399	13.8	12.5	15.2
	March 1999	371	12.3	11.1	13.6
	March 2000	302	10.0	9.0	11.2
	March 2001	281	9.3	8.3	10.5
	March 2002	308	10.2	9.1	11.4
Wheeze*	March 1997	30	1.1	0.8	1.6
	March 1998	48	1.7	1.3	2.2
	March 1999	53	1.8	1.4	2.3
	March 2000	68	2.3	1.8	2.9
	March 2001	58	1.9	1.5	2.5
	March 2002	61	2.0	1.6	2.6
Diagnostic transfer*	March 1997	594	21.54	13.41	32.81
Diagnostic transfer*	March 1998	657	22.76	14.37	34.28
	March 1999	570	18.93	11.36	29.64
	March 2000	516	17.14	9.99	27.45
	March 2001	654	21.68	13.52	32.98
	March 2002	770	25.53	16.58	37.58
Combined symptoms and disease	March 1997	950	34.45	23.91	48.08
	March 1998	1067	36.97	26.01	51.00
	March 1999	968	32.15	22.00	45.40
	March 2000	856	28.43	18.94	41.03
	March 2001	968	32.09	21.95	45.33
	March 2002	1086	36.00	25.20	49.88