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Risk factors for current wheeze among school children (6-7 and 13-14 years old) in Khuzestan, Iran
Maryam Dastoorpoor1, Narges Khodadadi1, Farzan Madadizadeh2
1Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Air Pollution and Respiratory Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Insights
This study identified key risk factors for wheezing in Iranian school children, including male gender, parental employment, and indoor environmental factors like mold and pets. Allergic rhinitis and eczema were also significant predictors of wheezing.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Allergic diseases, including wheezing, are increasing globally, particularly in developing nations.
- Understanding risk factors for childhood wheezing is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the risk factors associated with current wheezing among school children aged 6-7 and 13-14 years in Khuzestan Province, Iran.
- To identify demographic, clinical, environmental, and lifestyle factors contributing to childhood wheezing.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted in urban schools in Khuzestan Province, Iran, in 2019.
- Data were collected from 7344 children (aged 6-7 and 13-14 years) using a multi-stage sampling technique based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC).
- Risk factors were assessed through questionnaires covering demographic, clinical, environmental, and lifestyle information.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of current wheeze was 4.1%, with higher rates in older children (4.8%) compared to younger children (3.4%).
- Significant risk factors for wheezing included male gender, mothers being employed, property ownership, presence of bugs and mold, pets in the bedroom, family history of asthma/allergies, tobacco smoke exposure, allergic rhinitis, and eczema.
- Allergic rhinitis (OR: 7.86) and eczema (OR: 3.85) showed the strongest associations with current wheezing.
Conclusions:
- Families should implement strategies to reduce exposure to outdoor air pollutants and indoor allergens.
- Further research is needed to explore the impact of modifying identified risk factors on childhood wheezing.
Objectives:
In recent years, there has been a clear trend of increasing allergic diseases especially in children, and developing countries are no exception. Thepresentstudy sought to determine the risk factors associated with wheezing among school children aged 6-7 and 13-14 years living in Khuzestan Province, Iran.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional.
Methods:
Data for this cross-sectional study is the history of wheeze in the last 12 months. The participants included 6-7- and 13-14-year-old girls and boys studying in urban schools in Khuzestan Province in 2019. We collected the data using the multi stage sampling technique as suggested in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The research reviewed the literature and consulted experts to collect the risk factors for demographic and clinical information, environmental exposure and lifestyle.
Results:
Eight thousand questionnaires were handed out to both age groups, of which 7344 were completed. Two hundred ninety-nine (4.1 %) of the participants had current wheeze. Three-point four percent (124 individuals) in the 6-7 year age group and 4.8 % in the 13-14-year-old age group had current wheezing. The results of the logistic regression model suggest that the most significant risk factors associated with the chance of developing current wheeze in the both age groups are: being male (OR: 1.46, 95 % CI: 1.12-1.88), being from employed mother families (OR: 1.50, 95 %, CI:1.05-2.08), property ownership (OR:1.36, 95 %, CI:1.04-1.79) bugs in the property (OR: 1.29, 95 %, CI:0.99-1.70) mold in the property (OR: 1.75, 95 %, CI:1.12-2.76), pet(s) in the student's bedroom (OR: 1.75, 95 %, CI: 0.97-3.14), a family history of asthma and allergic diseases (OR: 2.20, 95 %, CI: 1.69-2.87), tobacco smoke exposures in the property (OR: 1.43, 95 %, CI:1.04-1.96), having allergic rhinitis (OR: 7.86, 95 % CI: 5.89-10.50) and eczema (OR: 3.85, 95 % CI: 2.10-7.08).
Conclusions:
Families are suggested to adopt strategies to reduce exposure to outdoor air pollutants and contain indoor allergens. More studies are necessary to further explore the effects of modifying and changing these risk factors.
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