Abstract
Background: Most Saudi asthmatic children/adolescents visiting the ED had poor control of symptoms; indeed, none achieved complete control, which is related to deficient medication compliance and improper medication inhaler device use; deficient knowledge about asthma was also another factor hindering control. The objective from this study to analyze the relationship between obesity (measured by body mass index) and asthma control in the children known to have bronchial asthma.
Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in ten primary and intermediate schools in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire for parents with asthmatic children was sent with each school pupil, to be filled by one of his parents at home and then to be returned on the next day. The questionnaire responses were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA) version 20.
Result: 68% of the parent's education level was intermediate and secondary school. Obese children with uncontrolled asthma were higher than obese children with controlled asthma (33.3%) (P<0.05). 23.1% of children with uneducated parents have uncontrolled bronchial asthma, compared to other children with primary, intermediate, secondary, and graduated parents. (P<0.05). Dust triggers bronchial asthma in 80% of the patients either alone or coexisted with other triggering factors. Only (11%) of asthmatic children use peak flow meter while the majority of them, which is about (61%), did not use it. Furthermore, about (28%) of parents with asthmatic children did not know this meter.
Conclusion: Abnormal BMI associated with poor control of bronchial asthma among children, the higher the BMI, the poorer control of bronchial asthma, at the same time, underweight BMI children will suffer of poor control of bronchial asthma. Parental education proportionally associated with bronchial asthma control. We need more efforts among pediatricians and physicians to increase awareness of importance and use of Peak Flow Meter.