Prevalence of Asthma among Qatari Schoolchildren: International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, Qatar

Abstract

Summary. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases among schoolchildren aged 6-14 years in the State of Qatar, based on a questionnaire designed by the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC). A cross-sectional study of 3,283 school children living in both urban and rural areas (average age, 9.03 AE 1.99 years; 52.3% boys and 47.7% girls) was conducted between February 2003-February 2004. The population sample had a high prevalence of diagnosed asthma (19.8%), allergic rhinitis (30.5%), eczema (22.5%), and chest infection (11.9%). The frequency of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema among parents reflected the same pattern as seen in their children. Overall, males had more asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chest infections than females. In general, the prevalence rate of asthma and allergic rhinitis decreased with age. The prevalence rate of asthma was significantly higher in mothers (11.8%) than in fathers (9.0%), but the frequency of allergic rhinitis symptoms was comparable (mothers, 18.5%; fathers, 17.5%). The prevalence rate of asthma (19.8%) in Qatari schoolchildren is very close to that in the neighboring Gulf country, Oman (20.7%), and higher than in some developing countries. Genetic factors related to the high rates of consanguinity may play an important role in the high prevalence rates noted in the Qatari population, but changes in lifestyle and environmental factors cannot be discounted as possible causes of the high prevalence noted in this study.

The Impact of Asthma and Allergic Diseases on Schoolchildren: Are They at Increased Risk of Absenteeism and Poor School Performance?

“…In a population based sample of 3283 school children in the age group 6 -14 years in Qatar, a high prevalence rate of diagnosed asthma (19.8%), allergic rhinitis (30.5%) and pulmonary infection (11.9%) was observed (Janahi et al, 2006). On the whole, the prevalence of asthma decreased with age, while the prevalence of pulmonary infection and throat infection increased with age.…”

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008*

“…Prevalence of rhinitis in patients with asthma. The majority of patients with asthma experience rhinitis symptoms (277,648,909,937,945,1882,(1888)(1889)(1890)(1891)(1892)(1893)(1894)(1895)(1896)(1897)(1898)(1899). However, in many instances, symptoms may predominate in one organ and be hidden or unrecognized in other organs even though they exist.…”

Vitamin D Deficiency as a Strong Predictor of Asthma in Children

“…Bronchial asthma remains the most common chronic disease of childhood [1,2,3] and is one of the leading causes of morbidity in children worldwide [4]. Currently, the burden of asthma in both the developed and the developing world is significant and increasing rapidly with more than 300 million people affected worldwide.…”

“…Industrialized countries farthest away from the equator such as Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are said to have the highest prevalence [2]. The prevalence of asthma and allergies in some Western countries has reached alarming proportions, affecting more than one third of children from the general population [1,2,3,4]. …”