Prevalence of asthma symptoms and associated risk factors among adults in Saudi Arabia: A national survey from Global Asthma Network Phase Ⅰ

Shaker A Alomary; Ahmed J Al Madani; Wael A Althagafi; Izzeldin F Adam; Omneya E Elsherif; Aljoharah A Al-Abdullaah; Hamdan Al-Jahdali; Hani A Jokhdar; Saeed H Alqahtani; Mahmoud A Nahhas; Rasha A Alfawaz

doi:10.1016/j.waojou.2021.100623

Prevalence of asthma symptoms and associated risk factors among adults in Saudi Arabia: A national survey from Global Asthma Network Phase Ⅰ

World Allergy Organ J. 2022 Jan 10;15(1):100623. doi: 10.1016/j.waojou.2021.100623. eCollection 2022 Jan.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ General Directorate of Health Programs and Chronic Diseases, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Epidemiology, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
³ Family Medicine, Cairo University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Medicine-Pulmonary Division, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Deputyship of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ General Administration of School Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Currently, Public Health Consultant, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Affairs for Health Improvement and Promotion, Saudi Public Health Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Purpose: Estimating the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms with standardized methods of population-based surveys is a critical step in reducing asthma burden. However, no sufficient surveys have been conducted in most countries of the Middle East especially at the national level. In this survey, we applied sound measures to estimate the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms and related risk factors in adults in Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: In this national cross-sectional study, the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms were estimated throughout the country. Overall, 7955 adult individuals were selected from 20 regions across Saudi Arabia through their children at schools using a multistage, stratified cluster-sampling technique. A validated questionnaire, including the core and environmental questions of the Global Asthma Network questionnaires, was applied from March 4 to April 25, 2019. In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the independent relationships between current wheeze and related risk factors.

Results: The overall prevalence of current wheeze (wheeze during the past 12 months) was 14.2%. Among persons with current wheeze, 38.1% were affected by severe asthma symptoms. Although a high percentage of those who had experienced asthma-ever reported that their asthma was diagnosed by doctors (83.3%), only 38.4% had a written plan for controlling their asthma. Women were more likely to develop current wheeze (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.7), while other statistically significant factors associated with current wheeze were jobs (aOR 11.8; 95% CI: 7.3-18.9), current exposure to moisture or damp spots (aOR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.5-3.4), heating the house when it is cold (aOR 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.1), and ever using tobacco daily (aOR 2.7; 95% CI: 2.0-3.5).

Conclusions: These findings provide enough evidence for health authorities in Saudi Arabia about the prevalence and severity of asthma symptoms, asthma control, and associated risk factors to scale up monitoring projects, control plans, and high-impact interventions.

Keywords: Allergic conditions; Asthma prevalence; Global Asthma Network; Middle East; Risk factors.