Assessing the prevalence and severity of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema among schoolchildren (6–7 and 13–14 years old) in Khuzestan, Iran: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background Asthma and allergic complications are the most common chronic disorders in children and adolescents. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema among schoolchildren, and some related risk factors. Methods The cross-sectional study was performed in 2019 and involved 4000 students aged 6–7 years and 4000 students aged 13–14 years (both girls and boys) from urban schools in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran. We used the multi-stage sampling method. Data were collected using the Persian version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Results The prevalence of current wheeze, wheeze ever and asthma ever in the age group of 6–7 years was 3.8, 4.5, and 1.8%, respectively; in the age group of 13–14 years, it was 4.4, 5.9, and 3.4, respectively. In terms of gender, males (4.9, 6.0, and 2.7 percent, respectively) had substantially higher rates of current wheeze, wheeze ever, and asthma ever compared to the girls (2.8, 3.6, and 2.0 percent, respectively) (p < 0.001). The prevalence of rhinitis, Hay fever, and eczema among young people was 5.3%, 3.5%, and 1.0%, respectively. Current wheeze was more common in children with allergic rhinitis in the last 12 months (30.3% vs. 2.7%, p < 0.001), Hay fever (32.8% vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001) and eczema (27.8% vs 3.8%, p < 0.001), compared to children who did not. Conclusions The prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms were significantly associated with allergic rhinitis, eczema, and gender.

Suffocation in asthma and COVID-19: Supplementation of inhaled corticosteroids with alkaline hydrogen peroxide as an alternative to ECMO

“…It is reported that bronchial asthma remains the most common noncommunicable lung disease, the prevalence of which is the highest in middle-and low-income countries [75][76][77][78][79]. The danger of this disease is increased during an asthma attack, which, due to the narrowing of the bronchial lumen, significantly impairs lung ventilation and therefore causes the development of hypoxia [80,82].…”

Exposure to household secondhand tobacco smoke and the odds of developing atopic dermatitis among adolescents: A causal mediation analysis

“…In the later study, it was demonstrated that, after adjusting for the effects of other lifestyle factors, adolescents were significantly more likely to have suffered from atopic dermatitis if they were female or asthmatic, indicating a direct effect of nearly the same magnitude as observed in the present study 20 . Another study from the region found that adolescents with atopic dermatitis were significantly more likely to be asthmatic 21 . A study from Lebanon showed that a mother’s waterpipe smoking was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis with a TE, which was somewhat higher than the TE reported in the present study 3 .…”

Seroprevalence and Potential Risk Factors of Toxocariasis among General Population in Southwest Iran: Implications on the One Health Approach

“…The eggs in the feces can become infective, and they can reach various water sources such as rivers, streams, sewage systems, and consequently, they enter agricultural fields, and contaminate vegetables [22,46]. It is notable that population in Khuzestan are faced with inadequate allocation of health care facilities and environmental challenges such as dust storms, floods, water crises, and infrastructural deficiencies [47][48][49][50].…”