Trend of self-reported asthma prevalence in Brazil from 2003 to 2013 in adults and factors associated with prevalence

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the trend of self-reported asthma diagnosed prevalence and to describe the factors associated with asthma in Brazilian adults. Method: Epidemiological cross-sectional study based on databases analysis from three national household surveys: Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) 2003, PNAD 2008 and Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) 2013. Participants between 18-45 years old were included. Trend analysis of asthma diagnosed prevalence was conducted using a logistic general linear model. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to select factors significantly associated with asthma prevalence. Results: Asthma diagnosed prevalence was 3.6% (2003), 3.7% (2008) and 4.5% (2013), showing a statistically significant increased trend. Asthma diagnosed prevalence also increased when analysed by gender (annual change for men: 2.47%, p < 0.003; women: 2.16%, p < 0.001), urban area (annual change for urban: 2.15%, p < 0.001; rural: 2.69%, p = 0.072), healthcare insurance status (annual change without healthcare insurance: 2.18%, p < 0.001; with healthcare insurance: 1.84%, p = 0.014), and geographic regions (annual change North: 4.68%, p < 0.001; Northeast: 4.14%, p < 0.001; and Southeast: 1.84%, p = 0.025). Female gender, obesity, living in urban areas and depression were associated with asthma diagnosed prevalence. Discussion: PNAD and PNS surveys allow for a very large, representative community-based sample of the Brazilian adults to investigate the asthma prevalence. From 2003 to 2013, the prevalence of self-reported physician diagnosis of asthma increased, especially in the North and Northeast regions. Gender, region of residence, household location (urban/rural), obesity, and depression diagnosis seem to play significant roles in the epidemiology of asthma in Brazil.

Prevalence and associated factors of bronchial asthma among adult patients in Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, Ethiopia 2018: a cross-sectional study

“…This study revealed that urban residents (AOR: 1.5; 95% CI 1.3–3.90) were more likely to develop bronchial asthma than rural residents. It was consistent with the report in Brazil and Ethiopia [15, 16]. This might be explained outdoor air of urban area is highly polluted due to high levels of traffic and industry related emissions that could increase the risk of asthma.…”

Prevalence of self-reported asthma in adults in the Brazilian Amazon: a population-based cross-sectional study

“…In a cross-sectional study based on household surveys conducted in Brazil in 2003, 2008, and 2013, the prevalence of asthma was consistently higher in women, 1 as was the case in our study. This might be explained by biological differences, such as sex hormones and increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and social factors, such as different perceptions of airflow obstruction and medication compliance.…”

“…The prevalence of asthma among adults is poorly known, especially in vulnerable regions, such as the Brazilian Amazon. 1 The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of self-reported asthma in adults living in the metropolitan area of Manaus, Brazil, in 2015.…”

Prevalence of Health Problems and Associations with Physical Activity Level in the Brazilian Army Female Segment

“…From this perspective, given the two-way relationship, the importance of increasing the levels of physical activity is highlighted: to improve health status of asthmatics and to protect health individuals against the development of asthma. Such prevalence of 6.45% is high compared to that found in a study of a population sample in Brazil, which showed a self-reported prevalence of 2.16% among women (46). In the USA, a populational-based study conducted in a population sample (n=3,840) found that most adults with self-reported asthma were physically inactive and that physical inactivity appears to be associated with an increased prevalence of asthma, which was of 9.0% (47).…”