Prevalence of Bronchial Asthma in School Children of 6-13 Years of Age in Shimla City

摘要

Background. Asthma is a major public health problem worldwide. However, there is limited data on asthma prevalenceamong school children in Shimla. The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of asthma in Shimla cityand also to examine the different factors influencing its occurrence.Methods. This was a questionnaire-based study (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood [ISAAC]protocol) carried out in four randomly selected schools in the city of Shimla. The questionnaire was pre-tested in 50 schoolchildren. The age group included in the study was 6-13 years. The questionnaire was distributed to all the children (n=1136).A response rate of 89.5% was achieved. The socio-economic status was determined on the basis of monthly income(cumulative square root value method). The ISAAC questionnaire was given standard scores. Various factors influencingthe prevalence of asthma, such as socio-economic status, history of asthma and other allergic disorders in the family, typeof cooking fuel used, history of active and passive smoking were elucidated from the history.Results. Overall prevalence of asthma in our study was found to be 2.3 percent. Boys had a higher prevalence (3.1%) thangirls (1.4%). We found a significant association between asthma prevalence and family history of asthma and other atopicmanifestations. There was no significant association of socio-economic factors and exposure to smoking with prevalenceof asthma.Conclusion. In the present study, the prevalence of bronchial asthma in school children in the age group of 6-13 years is2.3 percent.