The prevalence of bronchial asthma among primary school children in Menoufiya Governorate (El-Bagour Center)

Abstract

Objective To study the prevalence of bronchial asthma among primary school children in Menoufiya Governorate (El-Bagour Center). Background Asthma is a common disease in children that forms a major comorbidity illness. It is prevalent worldwide, especially in developed countries where its prevalence is increasing to epidemic proportions. Patients and Methods This is an observational study carried out on 2544 children from a representative sample of children attending eight primary schools in El-Menoufiya Governorate (El-Bagour Center): four schools were located inside El-Bagour Center, representing the urban locality, and the other four schools were located in villages around El-Bagour Center, representing the rural locality. Children were screened for chest symptoms by a questionnaire. Results The prevalence of asthma in rural and urban schools was 5.34 and 6.58%, respectively, with a total prevalence of 6.09%. A low socioeconomic level, a positive family history of similar disease, and exposure to smoke showed a highly significant effect as risk factors for asthma. Bronchial asthma had a highly significant effect on delayed weight gain, disturbed sleep, missed school days, limited activity, and emergency room visits and had a significant effect on delayed growth. Conclusion The overall point prevalence of childhood bronchial asthma among primary school children in Menoufiya governorate was 6.5%, which reflects a significant increase over the last 20 years when compared with a previous prevalence rate of 2.2% in a similar study conducted more than 20 years ago. This reveals a significant increase in the magnitude of the problem of bronchial asthma in our community and the need for effective prevention and management programs.