Prevalence of Bronchial Asthma among School Children in Urban and Rural Areas and Associated Risk Factors: A Cross Sectional Study from Western Uttar Pradesh, India

Objective: To find the prevalence of asthma in the age group of 6 –13 years & to identify the risk factors increasing the prevalence of asthma in Urban and Rural area school children in Western Uttar Pradesh. Methods. This is a cross sectional community based study conducted by interviewing the parents of randomly selected 1287 children in the age group of 6-13 years using a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Results: Out of 1287 children, 746 children belong to urban area and 541 children were in rural area. Prevalence of bronchial asthma in Urban School children was 11.93% and 9.79% for Rural Children respectively. The prevalence of asthma was higher among girls (11.96%) compared to boys (10.32%). There was an inverse linear trend with increasing age. A statistically significant association of bronchial asthma with breast feeding, type of diet, indoor plants, family history of asthma, allergy, type of domestic fuel used and heavy vehicle smoke was observed. There was no association of bronchial asthma with age, gender, birth weight and family history of smoking. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of bronchial asthma among children living in urban areas with a high prevalence among girls. Advice for exclusive breast feeding, avoidance of domestic fuel smoke and heavy vehicle smoke may reduce the risk of asthma and should be encouraged.