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Machine Learning-Based Cough Tone Classification: Diagnostic Exploration of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Respiratory Tract Infections
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Machine Learning-Based Cough Tone Classification: Diagnostic Exploration of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Respiratory Tract Infections

Published on: September 19, 2025

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

Indian Pediatrics
|January 24, 2002
PubMed

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.
Abstract

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