Abstract
Objective The objective of the sub-analysis of data from centers across urban areas in India of the Global Asthma Network (GAN) was to study the 1) prevalence of symptoms of asthma in children and adults, 2) change in prevalence of asthma and its trigger factors since the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), and, 3) current asthma treatment practice.
Methods In this cross–sectional, multicenter, school-based, and self-administered questionnaire, responses from children aged 6–7 years, 13–14 years, and their respective parents were analysed.
Results The GAN phase I study included 20084 children in the 6–7-year-age group, 25887 children in the 13–14-year-age group, and 81296 parents. The prevalence of wheeze in the past 12 months was 3.16%, 3.63%, and 3.30% in the three groups respectively. In comparison to the ISAAC studies, there was a significant reduction in the prevalence of current wheeze (p<0.001). Bivariate analysis revealed a significant reduction in the prevalence of trigger factors. Almost 82% of current wheezers and 70% of subjects with symptoms of severe asthma were not clinically diagnosed as having asthma. The daily use of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) was less than 2.5% in subjects with current wheeze and those with symptoms of severe asthma but less than 1% used daily ICS when asthma remained undiagnosed.
Conclusion The prevalence of current wheeze and its causal factors showed a significant reduction compared to previous ISAAC studies. Among subjects with current wheeze and symptoms of severe asthma, the problem of under-diagnosis and under-treatment was high.
Footnotes
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- Received August 27, 2021.
- Accepted January 5, 2022.
- Copyright ©The authors 2022
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