Journal of Allergy & Therapy

Prevalence of bronchial asthma and its association with obesity and overweight among adolescents in Dubai, UAE

12^th International Conference on Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology

October 01-02, 2018 | Moscow, Russia

Hussein H, Al Behandy N S, Al Faisal W, El Sawaf E, Wasfy A, Alshareef N and Altheeb A A S

Dubai Health Authority, Dubai

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Allergy Ther

Abstract:

Background: Globally, epidemiological data estimate that nearly 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma with expectation that this number will grow by more than 100 million by 2025.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to gain a better knowledge about the magnitude as well as the association of bronchial asthma with some socio-demographic characteristics, overweight and obesity among preparatory and secondary school students in Dubai.

Methodology: A cross sectional study was done among students of preparatory and secondary schools (private and governmental schools) in Dubai. Using a stratified random sample technique, the study sample included 1639 children.

Results: It was brought out that 16.7% of the study students have had an asthma attack at some point of time with ever complaining of chest wheeze where near three fourths of them complained of this wheeze during the past 12 months prior to the research. Emirati students and those in governmental schools were more affected with bronchial asthma. Obesity and overweight expressed as BMI were among factors associated with increase in the prevalence of asthma among school students in preparatory and secondary schools abreast with family history of asthma and being male.

Conclusion: Body weight, family history of bronchial asthma contributes significantly in the development of bronchial asthma.

Recommendations: Developing a national asthma surveillance system for screening of bronchial asthma among school children, launching a national asthma public education campaigns, targeting childhood overweight and obesity and launching a prospective study with a large sample size for further investigation of the relation-ship between asthma and childhood overweight and obesity.