Prevalence of bronchial asthma among primary school-aged children in Hadhramout governorate

ABSTRACT

Asthma prevalence is increasing worldwide. Asthma is more common in developed countries than in developing ones. The main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of asthma among primary school- aged children in Hadhramout governorate /Yemen. The sample was taken at multistage randomization during the period from 1St of February to 30th April 2006 using special questionnaires completed by parents of the children. Of the 2400 children who were included in this study, 2062 completed the questionnaires giving a response rate of 84%. The prevalence of bronchial asthma among primary school-aged children in the total sample was 15.2%. with 16.7% males and 13.5% females. In the urban areas the prevalence was, 16.1% and in the rural areas it was 14.2%. The main clinical presentations in asthmatic children were cough [100%] and breathlessness in 85.1%.The prevalence of asthma among primary school children in Hadhramout Governorate is 15,2%, which is similar to other countries. The prevalence of asthma in urban areas is higher than in rural areas.