Epidemiology of bronchial asthma among children in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

Alhussen F Khawaji, Abdulhameed Basudan, Abdulrahman Moafa, Mohammed Faqihi, Mohammed Alhazmi, Taher A Mahnashi, Yaseen Haddadi, Abuobaida K Yassin

Indian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 2017 31(2):69-75

Context: Asthma is a global problem, its prevalence varies among different countries and cities and age groups. In children, asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Aims: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of asthma among children in Jazan Region (JR), Saudi Arabia. Settings And Design: This is study conducted in Jazan region, saudi arabia among school age children. It is a cross-sectional study used a modified international study os asthma and allergy in children questionnaire. Subjects And Methods: The target study population were school age, witth sample size of 1200 distributed to all geographical areas. Statistical Analysis Used: The data had been entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 22.0. Descriptive statistics (e.g., number, percentage) and analytic statistics using Chi-square tests (χ2) to test for the association and/or the difference between two categorical variables will be applied. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The total study population was 1400, most of them were Saudi (1273, 90.9%). Male students were 840 (60.0%), and female students were 560 (40.0%). According to the residency, 811 (57.9%) students were lived in rural, 64.7% of them were male, and 589 (42.1%) of participants lived in urban area. Most of the students lived in plain area (840, 60.0%), and only 16.4% of them lived in mountain area in which 63.5% of them were male. Elementary school students account 54.1% of total students; about 63% of them were male. The prevalence of life-long wheezes was 17.7%. The prevalence of exercise-induced wheeze and wheeze during the last 12 months was 206 (14.7%) and 159 (11.4%), respectively. Students with the past medical history of bronchial asthma were 212 (15.1%), with no clear statistical significant difference in frequency between male and female (P = 0.161). Asthma was confirmed by doctor in 10% of participants. Conclusions: The prevalence of asthma among children in JR is slightly higher than those reported from local and regional reports.

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