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Chronic/recurrent cough in rural children in Ludhiana, Punjab
Daljit Singh1, Vineet Arora, Praveen C Sobti
1Department of Pediatrics, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 001, India. dmchldh@glide.net.in
Insights
In rural children, bronchial asthma is the leading cause of chronic cough, affecting 1.06% of those studied. Family history of asthma and smoking were significantly associated with this condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Chronic or recurrent cough is a common pediatric complaint with varying etiologies.
- Understanding the prevalence and causes in rural settings is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence, age distribution, and common causes of chronic/recurrent cough in rural Indian children.
- To identify factors associated with chronic/recurrent cough in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective house-to-house survey screened 2275 children aged 1-15 years in five villages.
- Detailed clinical and laboratory workups were performed for diagnosed cases.
- A control group of 500 children was included for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of chronic/recurrent cough was 1.06% (24 children).
- Bronchial asthma was the most frequent cause (66.7%), followed by postnasal drip syndrome (25%).
- Significant associations were found with family history of allergy/asthma (p < 0.01) and smoking (p = 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Bronchial asthma is the primary cause of chronic/recurrent cough in this rural pediatric cohort.
- Family history of allergic conditions and parental smoking are significant risk factors.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence, age distribution and common causes of chronic/recurrent cough in rural children.
Design:
Prospective study.
Setting:
Pediatric population in five villages of Dehlon Block of Ludhiana, Punjab.
Methods:
2275 children in the age group of 1 to 15 years were screened by house to house survey for chronic/recurrent cough using defined criteria. A detailed work up of selected cases was carried out. Underlying etiology was determined using clinical and laboratory parameters. Five hundred children in the study population formed the control group. Variables associated with chronic/recurrent cough were analyzed in cases and controls.
Results:
Twenty four children were diagnosed with chronic/recurrent cough showing a prevalence rate of 1.06 percent. The most common cause was bronchial asthma (66.7 percent) followed by postnasal drip syndrome (25 percent). Family history of allergy/asthma was noted in 11 (45.8 percent) children as compared to 52 (10.4 percent) in the control group (p < 0.01). Family history of smoking was recorded in 16.7 percent of cases in contrast to 6.4 percent in controls (p = 0.05). There was no significant association with overcrowding, pets and kind of cooking fuel used.
Conclusions:
The most common cause of chronic/recurrent cough was bronchial asthma. There was a significant association with family history of allergy/asthma and smoking.