本研究之目標在建立麥察地區未受空氣汙染時，國小學童呼吸器疾病週缺勤率之 基本資料，並評估本研究方法可行性。 從民國 81 年 8 月我們選取六輕將興建之麥察周遭 地區的三所國小學童約 2240 名進行研究。其中男女學童約各佔一半。我們設計病假缺勤調 查表，請校護、老師及各班班長對國小學童缺勤情形及缺勤原因逐週進行調查，並請當地的 開業醫師協助以確立診斷。依性別予以分層，以該校學童為分母，罹患呼吸器疾病的學童為 分子，得出疾病之週缺勤率； 以普瓦松 (Poisson) 分佈作模式，並訂大於呼吸器疾病週缺 勤率分佈中的 95 ％之值為呼吸器疾病週缺勤率的上限，以便將來偵測呼吸器疾病是否爆發 流行或大規模增加。結果發現，學童呼吸器疾病週缺勤率之平均數，中位數及標準差分別是 大城國小學童 0.60 ％ (週�笐� )，0.60 ％ (週�笐� ) 及 0.47 ％ (週�笐� )；麥寮國小 學童 0.72 ％ (週�笐� )， 0.48 ％ (週�笐� ) 及 0.99( 週�笐� )； 臺西國小學童 0.54 ％ (週�笐� )，0.40 ％ (週�笐� ) 及 0.46 ％ (週�笐� )。三所國小都有一個呼吸器疾病 發生之尖峰期，但發生之時間不同。 以大城國小 82 年 1 月最先開始，麥寮國小 82 年 4 月最慢。學童呼吸器疾病之週缺勤率與地區及年級有關，和性別無關。由於本研究不須大量 人力、財力且病假缺勤調查表之準確度高，我們推論以此方法可以作為學童呼吸器疾病監測 。

　　　　　The objective of this study is to determine the baseline of weekly absenteeism rate due to respiratory morbidity among school children in Mailiau area where air pollution is relatively low. In total, we studied 2240 school children, of which there were approximately equal numbers of boys and girls in three elementary schools around Mailiau area:Dachen, Mailiau, Taicei. We designed a short questionnaire and trained the teachers, school nurses and student leaders to record the causes of absenteeism, and regularly performed quality control with 16 local physicians who regularly made diagnoses for these children. Poisson distribution was assumed and we performed regression analysis for the weekly respiratory morbidity rates. The results showed that the weekly average rates of respiratory morbidity, median and standard deviation were 0.60% (week �笐� ),0.60%(week �笐� ) and 0.47% (week �� �� );0.72%(week �笐� ),0.48%(week �笐� )and 0.99%(week �笐� ); 0.54%(week �笐� ), 0.40% (week �笐� )and 0.46(week �笐� ) for Dachen, Mailiau, and Taicei elementary schools, respectively. A peak rate was noted during the observation period (August 1992 to July 1993) in 3 schools. Poisson regression analysis showed that the weekly absenteeism rate due to respiratory morbidity varied with location and age, while sex did not show any difference. We concluded that under present condition, air pollution does not seem to be a major risk facotr in this area and monitoring the rate of absenteeism seems to be potentially useful for surveillance of school children's respiratory diseases caused by air pollution.