Nasobronchial allergies among university students in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of wheezing and allergies among the population in Arab countries are on a rise due to urbanization that resulted in substantial environmental changes. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms is about 14% among school children but data on adolescent groups in the Gulf region are lacking. Hence, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of wheezing and bronchial asthma among undergraduate students of Gulf Medical University. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students of Gulf Medical University using a self-administered questionnaire for data collection. The demographic data, the wheezing and bronchial asthma characteristics and family history were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 19. Of the total of 255 students that were included, 120 [47%] had allergic rhinitis and 31 [12.2%] bronchial asthma. A total of 71 [27.8%] had symptoms of wheezing [females were 66% and males 34%; African [24%] and Pakistani [22.5%] nationals]. Of the 71 students, 41 [57.7%] students experienced 1-3 episodes during the previous year, 13 [18.3%] and had episodes limiting their speech. Exercise-induced wheezing was experienced by 62 [24.3%] participants. The wheezing episodes were most frequent in January and March. A positive family history of wheezing was reported by 29[40.8%] of the students. 40.8% students reported that wheezing interfered with their daily and extra-curricular activities. Bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis had a positive association with family history [p<0.05]. Allergic rhinitis was frequent among Pakistani, African and Emirati nationals. Symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis had significantly affected the quality of life of the students. Strong family history was also noted for allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma. Asthma was associated with a high rate of allergic rhinitis symptoms. The prevalence of asthma in this study is within the reported prevalence ranges from UAE and many other parts of the world