Factors associated with wheezing among Lebanese children: Results of a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: In Lebanon, asthma is underdiagnosed due to low access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas, although asthma diagnosis in children is based mainly on clinical symptoms. Thus, wheezing might be more suggestive of undiagnosed respiratory diseases including asthma in Lebanese children. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with wheezing in Lebanese children without asthma diagnosis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2015 and April 2016, enrolling a total of 1203 schoolchildren. Results: Out of 1500 prepared questionnaires, 1380 questionnaires were distributed in schools, and 1203 (87.17%) were collected back from the parents of children aged between 4-17 years old.The sample included 42 (3.5%) [95% CI 0.025-0.045] children with reported chronic wheezing. A multivariable analysis was performed taking the presence versus absence of wheezing in children as the dependent variable. The results showed that spraying pesticides at home (aOR=1.91), presence of humidity at home (aOR=2.21) and child reflux (aOR=2.60) were significantly associated with the presence of wheezing in children. Conclusion:The findings of the study suggest that certain environmental factors, such as pesticides, humidity at home and reflux disease, might be associated with wheezing episodes in children. Those factors can be prevented through raising awareness by health care professionals.

Preconception exposure to over-the-counter medications and antibiotics and the risk of childhood asthma in Lebanon: A cross-sectional study

“…Previous studies can show more details about the questionnaire. [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] The questions that assessed OTC medications used during pregnancy encompassed the most studied medications that showed a correlation with an asthma diagnosis, that is, antibiotics, [11][12][13][14] paracetamol, 15 vitamin D, [20][21] anti-reflux and acid-suppressive drugs, [24][25][26] ibuprofen, 27 and vitamin C. 37 The frequencies of intake were divided into the following: never or occasionally, once every month, one-three times every month, once every week, two to four times a week, and more than five times a week. In some drugs variables, the frequencies were collapsed into several levels where cells do not contain 0.…”

Hygiene hypothesis: association between hygiene and asthma among preschool children in Lebanon

“…The same questionnaire had already been used in Lebanon in studies with older children. [32][33][34][35] The first part of the questionnaire assessed the socio-demographic characteristics of the children, including age, gender, region, number of rooms and number of persons living in the house, education level of both parents (assessed based on the number of years of schooling, i.e., illiterate, primary, complementary, secondary, university), family history of asthma, and other known risk factors of asthma (the heating system used at home, child history of recurrent otitis, humidity inside the house, child attending a nursery, etc. ).…”

The impact of COVID-19 response measures on the quality of life for children in the Eastern Mediterranean region using an exposome approach: a narrative review

“…101,102 Mobility restrictions further increased children's time spent indoors, being more prone to indoor air pollution. Some studies in the EMR showed positive associations between children's (between 6 months and 15 years old) exposures to indoor stressors, such as Arabian incense burning, 103,104 second hand smoking, 105,106 indoor pollutants and allergens, [107][108][109][110][111][112] and house dust mite 110 and a suite of respiratory and neurologic health outcomes (such as asthma, respiratory complaints and lung function) in countries of the EMR region (Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Lebanon and Libya). Other forms of indoor pollution arising from poor housing and infrastructure conditions (such as mold, damp walls and floors, leaking pipes) were linked to adverse acute and chronic health effects among children.…”