Abstract
Background: Asthma is a chronic lung disease affecting over 330 million people worldwide. Asthma symptoms have reportedly become more prevalent in children during the period of 1993 to 2013 in developing countries, including South Africa, due to changes in the environmental conditions, such as domestic lifestyles and urban and industrial developments.
Aims: To assess the association between environmental exposure (environmental tobacco smoke, cooking smoke, pollen dust, environmental dust, in-utero exposure, allergen, and anaphylactic events) and asthma among children who are between the age of 3 and 12 years in King William’s Town, by considering age, gender, biometric variables, and asthma symptoms.
Method: A quantitative case-control study was conducted in a district hospital, to assess the association between environmental exposure and asthma among children who reside in King William’s Town, South Africa. The sample size was estimated with EPI Info software as 566 participants. Data were abstracted from medical records of eligible participants using a standardized questionnaire. Cross tabulation was done with SPSS software and EPI Info was used to describe odds ratios.
Results: Of the total 566 study participants, 50.5% (286) had asthma while 49.5% were without asthma. Sociodemographic factors associated with asthma were investigated in children within the age group 3 - 12 years, OR 1.74, CI 95% 1.09 – 2.78. Continuous variables associated with asthma were weight within 25 – 35kg, OR 1.64, CI 95% 1.11 – 2.42; and BMI within 15.001 – 20, OR 4.80, CI 2.80 – 8.22. Environmental risk factors associated with asthma were indoor exposure to tobacco smoke from mothers of the participants, OR 5.45, CI 3.08 – 9.65; and from fathers, OR 4.37; CI 2.77 – 6.90. Abstaining from eating seafood appeared to be protective from developing asthma (OR 0.01; CI 95% 0.00 – 0.05). The study found no significant association between outdoor environmental exposures and childhood asthma.
Conclusion: The age of the participant, weight, BMI, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and abstaining from seafoods have significant correlation with childhood asthma. Enhancing the evaluation of children healthcare and smoking cessation among parents will reduce exposure to environmental asthma triggers among children in King William’s Town.
Keywords: asthma, environmental exposure, children, pollution, environmental tobacco smoke.