Prevalence and Risk Factors of Asthma in Children and Adolescents in Rabigh, Western Saudi Arabia

The worldwide prevalence of asthma in children is variable. The different epidemiological definitions of asthma, the use of various methods of measurement, and the environmental variations between countries are responsible for such different prevalence rates. This study has been performed to identify the prevalence/risk factors of asthma in Saudi children/adolescents in Rabigh. A cross-sectional epidemiological survey has been conducted using the validated Arabic version of the "International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire". Data on the sociodemographic characteristics of participants and risk factors of asthma have also been collected. Three hundred and forty-nine Children/adolescents with an age range of 5-18 years have been randomly selected for an interview from public places and houses in different regions of Rabigh City. The prevalence rates of physician-diagnosed asthma, any wheezing, and wheezing in the last 12 months among children/adolescents (mean age: 12.22 ± 4.14 years) have remarkably increased in association with the rapidly developing industrialization of Rabigh from previously recorded rates of 4.9%, 7.4%, and 6.4% in the only study that has previously been conducted in Rabigh in 1998 to 31.5%, 23.5%, and 14.9%, respectively. The univariate analysis has detected some significant risk factors for asthma. However, in younger aged children (5-9 years), allergic rhinitis, associated chronic illnesses, and viral respiratory infection-induced wheezing have remained significant risk factors of any wheezing. Drug allergy, exposure to dust, and viral respiratory infection-induced wheezing have persisted as significant risk factors for wheezing in the last 12 months. Eczema in the family, exposure to perfumes/incense, and viral respiratory infection-induced wheezing have remained as significant risk factors of physician-diagnosed asthma. The results of this survey should be useful in future targeted preventive plans/measures with special attention to improving air quality to limit the progressive increase in asthma prevalence in Rabigh, as well as in other similar industrial communities.