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Risk factors associated with childhood asthma in District Mardan, Pakistan
Dost Muhammad Khan1, Rashid Zahoor2, Amjad Ali2
1Department of Statistics, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan.
Insights
This study identified key risk factors for childhood asthma, including female gender, paternal smoking, and bedroom carpets. Children under five years old were also found to be at higher risk for developing asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pulmonology
- Environmental health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma is a significant global health concern in children.
- Identifying risk factors is crucial for effective prevention and management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of asthma in children under 10 years old.
- To investigate significant risk factors associated with childhood asthma.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted in Mardan, Pakistan.
- Data was collected from 647 pediatric asthma patients and healthy controls using a questionnaire.
- Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 19.
Main Results:
- The study included 349 asthmatic cases and 298 controls.
- Significant risk factors identified were female gender, paternal smoking, presence of carpets in the room, and age under 5 years.
- Children under 5 years had an odds ratio of 1.49 for developing asthma.
Conclusions:
- Female gender, paternal smoking, bedroom carpets, and young age (<5 years) are associated with childhood asthma.
- These factors represent important targets for asthma prevention initiatives.
- Further research can explore the mechanisms behind these associations.
Objective:
To estimate the prevalence of asthma in children aged <10 years, and to identify important risk factors for asthma..
Methods:
The case-control study was conducted at Mardan Medical Complex and District Head Quarters Hospital, Mardan, Pakistan, from June to September 2017. Data was collected from paediatric patients of asthma as well as healthy controls through a self-designed questionnaire. SPSS 19 was used for data analysis.
Results:
Of the 647 subjects, 349(54%) were asthmatic cases and 298(46%) were controls. Among the cases, 201(57.6%) were females, while 148(42.4%) were males. There were 332(51%) subjects whose fathers were smokers, and of them 224(67%) had asthma and 125(37%) were non-asthmatic. Overall, 323(50%) subjects had carpet in their rooms, and of them 221(68%) had asthma. Among other risk factors, subjects aged <5 years had 1.49 time more likely to have asthma with (odds ratio: 1.49, 95% confidence interval: 0.963-1.988).
Conclusions:
Female gender, fathers' smoking, having carpet in the room and age <5 year were found to be the main risk factors associated with asthma.
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