Environmental risk factors for persistent asthma in Lucknow.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
• Environmental Health
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Persistent asthma in children poses a significant public health challenge.
• Identifying environmental risk factors is crucial for effective asthma management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between environmental exposures and persistent asthma in children.
• To identify specific risk factors contributing to uncontrolled asthma in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• A hospital-based, cross-sectional study involving 205 children aged 1-12 years with asthma.
• Asthma severity and control were assessed using GINA guidelines (2002, 2009).
• Adjusted logistic regression analysis was employed to determine significant risk factors.

Main Results:

• 64.40% of children had persistent asthma, with a high prevalence of uncontrolled asthma (46.82%).
• Persistent asthma was significantly associated with residence within 1.5 km of heavy traffic (OR=4.58).
• Exposure to father smoking indoors (>5 cigarettes/bidi/day) was a strong predictor of persistent asthma (OR=17.76).

Conclusions:

• Children with persistent asthma are more prone to uncontrolled disease.
• Proximity to heavy traffic and secondhand smoke are key environmental risk factors for persistent asthma.
• Mitigating exposure to traffic-related air pollution and indoor smoke may improve asthma control in children.