A Cross-Sectional Study to Find Prevalence and Risk Factors for Childhood Asthma in Pune City, India

Abstract

We aimed to determine current prevalence of asthma and risk factors associated with it in Pune, India. Methods. This was a crosssectional school-population-based study in which parents of school children aged 6-7 and 13-14 were administered an ISAAC questionnaire and an additional set of questions that detected the presence of potential risk factors known to be associated with asthma during 2008-2009 academic years. Results. Prevalence of current asthma was 6.7% (7% amongst 6-7-year olds and 6.3% amongst 13-14 year olds. Asthma was more common amongst boys (8.1%) than girls (4.9%) and more frequent in students studying in private schools (7.3%) than in those studying in public schools (5.8%). Risk factors such as family history of atopy, caesarian delivery, use of biomass fuel for cooking, absence of separate kitchen, absence of exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life, preterm birth, snoring, dampness at home, male sex, and parental smoking were significantly associated with asthma. Conclusion. There was a high prevalence of childhood asthma in Pune, India, which was associated with genetic and environmental risk factors.

Risk and Triggering Factors Associated with Bronchial Asthma Among School-Going Children in an Urban City of Coastal Karnataka

“…Dampness, fungus and moulds are rampant in these areas since it is a coastal area with high humidity; in our study 59.4 % of current wheezers lived in such surroundings. As per the study by Cheraghi M et al 4 , the presence of dampness (OR: 1.59, p<0.0001) at home was signifi cantly associated with asthma. Consumption of pasta/noodles, Chinese food and packed fried items (15.4% to 22%) was similar to the rates described in the study by Awasthi et.al.…”

“…Various studies have documented risk factors association with occurrence of asthma in school going children. 2,3,4,5 Asthma exacerbations by specifi c trigger factors are a well-known fact and how it affects their quality of life have been studied by Luskin AT et al 6 . Asthma exacerbations by asthma trigger factors have been documented by few studies 7,8,9,10,11 .…”

Preterm Birth and Childhood Wheezing Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Crude data could not be retrieved for four studies, and these were included in the adjusted meta-analysis only [21],[24],[25],[45]. Pooling of the 26 studies (1,500,916 individuals) for which unadjusted data were available showed a significant association between preterm birth and wheezing disorders (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.57–1.87, p <0.001; Figure 2).…”

Insights, attitudes and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: Findings from a multinational survey of patients from 8 Asia‐Pacific countries and Hong Kong

“…Globally, asthma prevalence is growing by approximately 50% each decade, but is particularly pronounced in India and China. In India, recent reports have revealed a growth of 2.5% over 5 years in childhood asthma, highlighting future challenges for asthma care in the region …”

“…In India, recent reports have revealed a growth of 2.5% over 5 years in childhood asthma, highlighting future challenges for asthma care in the region. 4 Currently, there is limited data on the state of asthma management in the Asia-Pacific region, with most treatment practices being adopted from western countries. The rapid economic growth in Asia-Pacific countries, and the availability of effective medications and evidence-based treatment guidelines, has led to a rapid revolution in optimum asthma care in Asia-Pacific countries.…”