Comparison of prevalence and severity of asthma among adolescents in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago: results of a nationwide cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a growing problem in the Caribbean but the prevalence in most islands is unknown and possible inter-island variation in prevalence has not been determined. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted to compare the prevalence of asthma symptoms among high school students in the two islands of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Exploration of the Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma: a review, with a Focus on Prevalence in Children and Adolescents in the Caribbean

“…Using the ISAAC, that same study investigated 5000 adolescents in the two islands of Trinidad and Tobago, and their study revealed that severe asthma occurred more frequently in students from Tobago (6). A quarter of the respondents in the survey from the two islands reported wheezing, and night cough was the commonest reported symptom, occurring in over 35% of respondents (6).…”

“…A quarter of the respondents in the survey from the two islands reported wheezing, and night cough was the commonest reported symptom, occurring in over 35% of respondents (6). It was found that although self-reported wheeze is common in the Trinidad and Tobago adolescents, there is variation between the two territories, with high school students in the less industrialized Tobago reporting more severe asthma symptoms as well as exercise-induced wheeze (6). Economic parameters and access to healthcare were thought to be potential explanations for the reported results; however, these are similar between the two islands; thus, differences in ethnicity were cited as potential explanations for the findings (6).…”

“…Furthermore, unsatisfactory information has been given about the potential environmental and genetic factors that constitute the spread of this disease in the Caribbean. For example, one study investigated the prevalence of asthma, comparing two Caribbean islands (Trinidad and Tobago), in addition to comparing other regions (6). While geographically these two islands are only separated by 32 km, the ethnic composition of both islands is vastly different.…”

“…Puerto Ricans and Blacks comprise nearly one-third of childhood asthma patients; these groups seem to be representative of the populations in which asthma prevalence in children continues to rise. In addition, asthma is a growing condition in the Caribbean and prevalence in most islands is unknown, and potential inter-island variation has not as of yet been determined (6). Prevalence studies are starting to be conducted worldwide including many of the islands across the Caribbean.…”

The spatial epidemiology of asthma: a chronic noncommunicable disease and a neglected epidemic

“…In Barbados between admissions to an acute setting increased from 36 to 360 patients per month despite an increase of only 10% in the island's population during that time [3]. Similarly for the one year period 1999 in Trinidad 5.3% of all adult admissions and 23% of pediatric admission to the emergency room were asthma related [4]. As a result acute asthma impacts significantly on emergency facilities.…”