Related Experiment Videos
Seasonal variability in exercise test responses in Ghana
Emmanuel O D Addo-Yobo1, Adnan Custovic, Simon C O Taggart
1Department of Child Health, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
Summary
Seasonal variations impact exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) prevalence in Ghanaian children. EIB was lower in the wet season, with no significant differences between urban and rural school children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) is a key indicator for asthma prevalence in epidemiological research.
- Previous studies indicated higher EIB and atopy rates in urban-rich (UR) Ghanaian children during the dry season.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate seasonal variations in EIB prevalence among Ghanaian school children.
- To compare EIB rates across urban-rich (UR), urban-poor (UP), and rural (R) settings during the wet season.
Main Methods:
- Assessed EIB in 1,095 school children (aged 9-16) during the wet season using a 6-minute outdoor running exercise challenge.
- Compared wet season EIB prevalence with previously collected dry season data from the same cohort.
Main Results:
- Overall EIB prevalence decreased from 3.1% in the dry season to 1.55% in the wet season.
- The higher prevalence observed in UR children during the dry season was not present in the wet season.
- No significant differences in EIB prevalence were found among UR, UP, and R children during the wet season.
Conclusions:
- Exercise challenge is valuable for epidemiological asthma studies, but seasonal variations can influence EIB prevalence.
- EIB patterns in children may differ between seasons, necessitating cautious interpretation of epidemiological findings.
- Environmental factors contributing to seasonal EIB variations in Ghanaian children warrant further investigation.