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Published on: August 7, 2017
Uncontrolled Asthma Among Children and Its Association With Parents' Asthma Knowledge and Other Socioeconomic and
Ahlam Mazi1, Fatema Madani2, Ebtehag Alsulami3
1Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Medicine, Jeddah, SAU.
Insights
Uncontrolled asthma affects 32.7% of children in Jeddah, with home bakhoor exposure and multiple ICU admissions being key risk factors. Parental asthma knowledge did not significantly impact control, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease in children.
- Effective asthma management requires understanding contributing factors and parental knowledge.
- Uncontrolled asthma in children can lead to severe health outcomes and increased healthcare utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of uncontrolled asthma in pediatric patients in Jeddah.
- To investigate the association between uncontrolled asthma and parental asthma knowledge.
- To identify socioeconomic and environmental factors linked to uncontrolled asthma in children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 150 asthmatic children and their caregivers at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah.
- Data collection via phone interviews using a structured questionnaire.
- Assessment of asthma control using the Arabic Asthma Control Test (ACT) and parental knowledge via the Arabic caregiver Asthma Knowledge questionnaire (AKq).
Main Results:
- The frequency of uncontrolled asthma was 32.7% (95% CI: 25.2-40.8).
- Parental asthma knowledge showed mixed results, with some common misconceptions identified.
- Independent predictors of uncontrolled asthma included exposure to bakhoor at home (OR=0.41), two or more ICU admissions (OR=3.30), and specific rescue inhaler use patterns (OR=0.22).
Conclusions:
- Approximately one-third of asthmatic children in the study experienced uncontrolled asthma.
- Parental knowledge did not significantly correlate with asthma control, suggesting a need for improved educational strategies.
- Exposure to bakhoor, prior ICU admissions, and specific medication use are significant indicators of uncontrolled asthma, necessitating tailored national interventions.
Abstract:
Objective To estimate the frequency of uncontrolled asthma among asthmatic children from Jeddah and to analyze its association with parental asthma knowledge and other socioeconomic and environmental factors. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pediatrics Departments of King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from July to December 2018. It involved the caregivers of 150 children with asthma, who were following at KAUH. A structured questionnaire was administered by a phone interview to collect the following: socioeconomic and environmental factors of asthma, answers to the Arabic version of the Asthma Control TestTM (ACT), and answers to the Arabic version of the caregiver Asthma Knowledge questionnaire (AKq). Result The frequency of uncontrolled asthma was 32.7% (95%CI: 25.2 - 40.8). Parents had myths about asthma such as "children with asthma should use asthma control medications (inhaled corticosteroids) only when they have symptoms" and "it's not good for children to use the inhaler for too long". Besides, we observed mixed results regarding parents' knowledge about the disease, with correct answers ranging from 56.0% to 88.7% depending on the item. Exposure to bakhoor (aromatic woodchips) at home (OR = 0.41, p=0.044), two or more ICU admissions during the past 12 months (OR = 3.30, p=0.030), and using a rescue inhaler even if there's no cough or wheeze when the child gets the flu (OR = 0.22, p=0.001) were the three independent factors of uncontrolled asthma among children. Conclusion Uncontrolled asthma concerns one-third of the asthmatic children following at our centre, representing a less concerning figure compared to the national data. The contribution of parents' knowledge to asthma control did not show significant results, although uncontrolled asthma may represent an opportunity to increase parents' knowledge and awareness. We emphasize the significance of exposure to bakhoor, the use of oral steroids, and the number of ICU admission as strong indicators for uncontrolled asthma in children. An adaptive national strategy should be designed to enable effective and personalized interventions, resources, and objectives for maximized benefits.
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