Abstract
BackgroundAsthma is a chronic airway inflammation disease that is frequently found in children and adolescents with an increasing prevalence. Several studies are linking its presence to many lifestyle and health correlates. The objective of this study was to explore these correlates and find characteristics of self-reported asthmatics among adolescents in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional, school-based study carried out in all 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. Sampling was randomly done from intermediate and secondary school students. Data in our study consisted of demographic characteristics, health conditions and lifestyle patterns and were compared between the two groups: asthmatics versus non-asthmatics. Comparison between the two groups was done by analyzing our data using Statistical Analysis Software SURVEYFREQ procedure (SAS Version 9; SAS Institute, Cary, NC).ResultsAmong a sample of 11,348 participants, the prevalence of self-reported asthma was found to be 8.2%. Various characteristics were found significantly different between the 2 groups including the gender, the weight, the family’s education, and dietary patterns. Self –reported asthmatic were more likely to be males, overweight or obese, with a lower father’s level of education and a higher consumption of milk and power drinks.ConclusionAsthma disease remains prevalent among adolescents in Saudi Arabia and requires higher awareness and better guidance for its prevention and treatment. Further efforts should focus on health promotion and lifestyle wellness to support preventive efforts of this chronic disease condition.
Highlights
Asthma is a chronic airway inflammation disease that is frequently found in children and adolescents with an increasing prevalence
Participant’s characteristics and comorbidities Our final sample included 11,348 participants, with a prevalence of self-reported asthma reaching 8.2%
As for nationality, 87.3% of participants were of Saudi Arabian origin and there were significantly more Saudi self-reported than non-Saudi asthmatics (90.7% vs. 87.0%, p = 0.001)
Summary
Asthma is a chronic airway inflammation disease that is frequently found in children and adolescents with an increasing prevalence. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by a hyperresponsiveness of the intrapulmonary airways and a variable resistance to airflow that could be reversible spontaneously or in response to treatment [1]. The World Health Organization estimates that 235 million people worldwide of all ages suffer from asthma [2]. With the modernization of the lifestyles and consequent urbanization,this prevalence remains on an Asthma is among the top twenty chronic conditions for global ranking of disability-adjusted life years in children; in the mid-childhood ages 5–14 years it is among the top 10 causes. There is a worldwide downward trend of asthma mortality in adults and children over the past 25 years, a wide global disparity remains in years of life lost because of asthma [6]
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