Prevalence of asthma, local risk factors and agreement between written and video questionnaires among Turkish adolescents

Prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Pet exposure has always been controversial with childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis. We aimed to understand the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets by meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched articles published from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2022 in the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. We included a cross-sectional study that reported the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets. Furthermore, we performed subgroup analyses according to pet type and age.

RESULTS

In 14 selected studies, the meta-analysis results showed that the pooled prevalence of asthma in children exposed to pets was 19.0% (95% CI 13.3-24.7%), and the pooled prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets was 25.5% (95% CI 12.4-38.5%). The prevalence of asthma in children exposed to cats and dogs was 16.4% (95% CI 9.9-22.8%) and 12.5% (95% CI 8.7-16.2%), respectively. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 24.9% (95% CI 2.9-47.0%) and 24.1% (95% CI 2.6-45.6%), respectively. The prevalence of asthma in pet-exposed children was 17.1% (95% CI 12.3-22.0%) in the adolescence group (> 10 years) and 26.3% (95% CI 12.2-40.3%) in the childhood group (0-10 years). The prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 8.6% (95% CI 7.2-10.0%) in the adolescence group and 46.3% (95% CI 44.0-48.6%) in the childhood age group.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets is different. Exposure to pet cats is more prone to illness, and younger children are more susceptible to disease than older children.

Assessing the prevalence and severity of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema among schoolchildren (6-7 and 13-14 years old) in Khuzestan, Iran: a cross-sectional survey

Background

Asthma and allergic complications are the most common chronic disorders in children and adolescents. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema among schoolchildren, and some related risk factors.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was performed in 2019 and involved 4000 students aged 6–7 years and 4000 students aged 13–14 years (both girls and boys) from urban schools in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran. We used the multi-stage sampling method. Data were collected using the Persian version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire.

Results

The prevalence of current wheeze, wheeze ever and asthma ever in the age group of 6–7 years was 3.8, 4.5, and 1.8%, respectively; in the age group of 13–14 years, it was 4.4, 5.9, and 3.4, respectively. In terms of gender, males (4.9, 6.0, and 2.7 percent, respectively) had substantially higher rates of current wheeze, wheeze ever, and asthma ever compared to the girls (2.8, 3.6, and 2.0 percent, respectively) (p < 0.001). The prevalence of rhinitis, Hay fever, and eczema among young people was 5.3%, 3.5%, and 1.0%, respectively. Current wheeze was more common in children with allergic rhinitis in the last 12 months (30.3% vs. 2.7%, p < 0.001), Hay fever (32.8% vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001) and eczema (27.8% vs 3.8%, p < 0.001), compared to children who did not.

Conclusions

The prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms were significantly associated with allergic rhinitis, eczema, and gender.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03520-x.

Risk factors of asthma in the Asian population: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and objective

An increasing trend of asthma prevalence was observed in Asia; however, contributions of environmental and host-related risk factors to the development of this disease remain uncertain. This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis for asthma-associated risk factors reported in Asia.

Methods

We systematically searched three public databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) in Feb 2021. We only included articles that reported environmental and host-related risk factors associated with asthma in the Asian population. Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted for frequently reported asthma-associated risk factors to provide an overall risk estimate of asthma development.

Results

Of 4030 records obtained from public databases, 289 articles were selected for review. The most frequently reported asthma-associated risk factor was the family history of allergy-related conditions. The random-effect asthma risk estimates (pooled odds ratio, OR) were 4.66 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.73–5.82) for the family history of asthma, 3.50 (95% CI: 2.62–4.67) for the family history of atopy, 3.57 (95% CI: 3.03–4.22) for the family history of any allergic diseases, 1.96 (95% CI: 1.47–2.61) for the family history of allergic rhinitis, and 2.75 (95% CI: 1.12–6.76) for the family history of atopic dermatitis. For housing-related factors, including the presence of mold, mold spots, mold odor, cockroach, water damage, and incense burning, the random-effect pooled OR ranged from 1.43 to 1.73. Other risk factors with significant pooled OR for asthma development included male gender (1.30, 95% CI: 1.23–1.38), cigarette smoke exposure (1.44, 95% CI: 1.30–1.60), cigarette smoking (1.66, 95% CI: 1.44–1.90), body mass index (BMI)–related parameters (pooled OR ranged from 1.06 to 2.02), various types of air pollution (NO₂, PM10, and O₃; pooled OR ranged from 1.03 to 1.22), and pre- and perinatal factors (low birth weight, preterm birth, and cesarean section; pooled OR ranged from 1.14 to 1.32).

Conclusions

The family history of asthma was the most frequently reported risk factor for asthma development in Asia with the highest risk estimate for asthma development. This suggests a major role of the genetic component in asthma pathogenesis. Further study on asthma genetics is required to improve the current understanding of asthma etiology.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40101-021-00273-x.

Pharmaceutical care for adult asthma patients: A controlled intervention one-year follow-up study

Asthma is a clinical problem with social, psychological and economic burdens. To improve patient disease management, different education programmes have been developed. Challenges in asthma management may be partially attributed to non-adherence or improper use of inhalers. This study aimed to implement and assess hospital-based pharmaceutical care services for asthmatic patients. A 12-month, single-centre, randomized, controlled study was initiated in asthmatic adult patients who had been divided into either a control or intervention group. Patients in the control group received the usual care, and patients in the intervention group received patient counselling per study protocol that covered asthma knowledge, control, adherence to treatment and inhalation techniques. The main variables compared measurements at baseline with those at 6 and 12 months. A total of 192 patients completed the study protocol: 90 in the control group and 102 in the intervention group. The control group included 90 patients, and the intervention group included 102 patients. Over the course of the 12-month follow-up period, a significant difference was observed between intervention and control groups with respect to asthma control (38.2% vs 10.0%; P < .001), mean correct inhalation technique (confidence interval [CI]: 8.1, 7.8-8.5 vs CI: 6.1; 5.6-6.6; P = .01) and good medication adherence (60.7% vs 50.0%, P = .02). There were 34% and 25% decreases in emergency room visits and hospital admissions, respectively, in the intervention group compared to the control group. This study emphasizes the importance of patient counselling in asthma management and the significant contribution that the pharmacist's intervention can have on asthma control.

The prevalence of asthma and related symptoms in Middle East countries

OBJECTIVES

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by reversible airway constriction and airway hyperresponsiveness. Asthma is a worldwide problem and its prevalence varies among different parts of the world. There are insufficient data about the prevalence and risk factors of this disease in Middle East countries.

DATA SOURCE

The objective of this review article was to determine the prevalence of asthma in Middle East countries by searching EMBASE, Medline, Web of Science and Google Scholar for articles about asthma prevalence in children and adults in this region.

STUDY SELECTION

The prevalence of asthma in different countries and different cities of each country in the Middle East was reviewed in children and adults of both sexes. The possible risk factors for asthma in different areas were also reviewed from 1985 to 2012.

RESULTS

The highest asthma prevalence in children and adults was 35.4% in Tehran, Iran by ISAAC phase I and 15% in Kuwait by self-designed questionnaire and the lowest prevalence was 1% in Kermanshah, Iran by ISAAC and 2% in Tehran, Iran by ECRHS questionnaire, respectively. Most studies showed that the prevalence of this common disease declines with increasing age.

CONCLUSION

The data showed that the prevalence of asthma varies among different countries and even among different cities of the same country. The common risk factors for this disease were genetic predisposition, cigarette smoking, family history of asthma and allergic diseases.

In utero exposure to 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of childhood asthma, wheeze, and respiratory tract infections: A meta-analysis of birth cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Studies of the associations between in utero 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) exposure and risk of childhood asthma, wheeze, and respiratory tract infections are inconsistent and inconclusive.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to assess associations between 25(OH)D levels in cord blood or maternal venous blood and risk of offspring's asthma, wheeze, and respiratory tract infections.

METHODS

Data were derived from PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, references from relevant articles, and de novo results from published studies until December 2015. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted among 16 birth cohort studies.

RESULTS

Comparing the highest with the lowest category of 25(OH)D levels, the pooled odds ratios were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.70-1.01; P = .064) for asthma, 0.77 (95% CI, 0.58-1.03; P = .083) for wheeze, and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.66-1.09; P = .187) for respiratory tract infections. The observed inverse association for wheeze was more pronounced and became statistically significant in the studies that measured 25(OH)D levels in cord blood (0.43; 95% CI, 0.29-0.62; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Accumulated evidence generated from this meta-analysis suggests that increased in utero exposure to 25(OH)D is inversely associated with the risk of asthma and wheeze during childhood. These findings are in keeping with the results of 2 recently published randomized clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy.