Exploring the Risk Factors of Childhood Asthma among Pediatric Patients: Insights from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Background: Asthma is the most prevalent pulmonary disorder that affects children as well as adults. But children are at high risk of acquiring asthma. Objective: To find out the risk factors of asthma in children. Methodology: This case-control study was conducted at the department of pulmonology and Department of Paediatric Medicine, Qazi Hussain Ahmad Medical Complex, Nowshera, from January 2018 to February 2021 after taking permission from the ethical committee of the institute. Data was gathered on the proforma designed for our study. The risk was determined employing the odds ratio. Results In this study, 402 participants were enrolled, of whom 202 were asthmatic and 200 were non-asthmatic. Out of 402 individuals, 242 (60%) were male and 160 (40%) were female. Hospitalizations in asthmatic children were more prevalent than those for non-asthmatic kids (p < 0.0001). The majority of urban asthmatic children have a history of asthma in their parents (p < 0.0001) and or allergic rhinitis. Compared to children without asthma, 38.1% of them had at least one smoker in their family and were weaned earlier (OR = 12.4, 95% CI = 1.3–4.4, p = 0.01). Conclusion  Childhood asthma was highly correlated with family history of allergic rhinitis and asthma. Living in an urban area, having parents who smoke, and weaning children deprived early of breast milk were the major risk factors. The findings emphasize the necessity of informing parents about the dangers of smoking and the onset of asthma at an early age.