ABSTRACT
Studies have shown that asthma in children is caused by environmental and genetic factors. In adult asthma, risk factors were less well recognized. Likewise, in Thailand, data in adult asthma is limited. This study aimed to evaluate risk factors, determine skin reactivities to allergens, and assess concomitant allergy among adult asthma in Phitsanulok, a major city in the lower northern Thailand. Five hundred and thirteen Naresuan University staff members and students completed 2 sets of questionnaires and underwent allergy skin prick tests. The first set of questionnaires was standardized Thai version of ISAAC questionnaire for identifying asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic eczema. The second set was modified from ISAAC phase II questionnaire to identify asthma risk factors. Fif-ty-eight subjects (11.6%) were identified as having physician’s diagnosed asthma and 89 subjects (17.7%) wheezed in the past 12 months. Among 89 subjects, 14.4% wheezed more than once a month, 45.6% had wheez-es interfering with sleep. Concomitant allergic rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic eczema among these asthma subjects were 82.5%, 67.9%, and 14.9%, respectively. Eighty seven point nine percent of asthmatic subjects had positive skin reactivities to at least one allergen. Two of the most common allergens were house dust mites and cockroaches. Maternal smoking during pregnancy, smoking among family members, and family history of allergy were statistically significant risks for developing asthma, while having a rice field around the residence represented a significant protective factor. In conclusion, high prevalence of asthma presented in Phitsanulok and many asth-matic subjects were partly controlled or uncontrolled. The environment such as a rice field could protect against asthma, however atopy and smoking exposure were significant risks for asthma development.
ABSTRACT
Allergic diseases have been increasing around the world. Many studies in Thai children by ISAAC protocol found an increase in the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema. Nevertheless very few studies in Thai adults have been done. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema among Naresuan University students. Two thousand six hundred and ninety-three students (835 males and 1,858 females) completed ISAAC standardized written and video questionnaires. The age range was 17-53 years (mean 20.0 +/- 3.2 years) of which 97.2% were less than 30 years old. The prevalences of allergic rhinitis within the past 12 months and allergic rhinitis with concomitant conjunctivitis were 57.4% and 25.6%. The prevalences of wheeze within the past 12 months and of diagnosed asthma were 12.1% and 9.8%. The eczema prevalence within the past 12 months was 15.0%. Subjects with rhinoconjunctivitis had significantly more wheeze within the past 12 months and more asthma than those without rhinoconjunctivitis (25.8% and 20.1% vs. 7.6% and 6.3%; p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). The prevalences of wheeze within the past 12 months and asthma in males (14.1%, 11.9%) were significantly higher than in females (11.2%, 8.9%) (p = 0.044 and 0.018, respectively). Similar to a recent study in Bangkok University students, our results showed an increasing trend in allergic diseases in the adult population of Phitsanulok, Northern Thailand, as compared to a study 2 decades ago.