Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Asthma in rural Bangladeshi children

  • Original Article
  • Published:
The Indian Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Although bronchial asthma causes a great deal of morbidity among children in Bangladesh, few epidemiological studies addressed this problem. The study aims to determine the prevalence of wheezing and its association with environmental and host factors.

Methods

A total of 1587 children aged 60–71 mth living in 50 villages in rural Bangladesh at Matlab was studied. Trained field workers interviewed caretakers of these children to diagnose wheezing using an adopted questionnaire of the International Studies of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). History of pneumonia among wheezing and non-wheezing children during their childhood was obtained from the surveillance records.

Results

The prevalence of wheezing in the last 12 mth prior to survey was 16.1% (95% Cl: 14.3%, 18.0%), significantly higher among children who had attacks of pneumonia during their infancy compared to children who did not (23.0% vs 14.6%, p<0.0001). Risk factors associated with wheezing were pneumonia at ages 0–12m (OR= 1.50, 95% Cl 1.08, 2.10) and 13–24m (OR= 2.12, 1.46, 3.08), maternal asthma (OR=3.01, 95% Cl 2.02, 4.47), paternal asthma (OR= 3.12, 95% Cl 1.85, 5.26), maternal eczema (OR=1.81, 95% Cl 1.14, 2.87) and family income ≤ 100 US$ (OR for US$ 51–99= 1.63, 95% Cl 1.05, 2.53; OR for US$ ≤ 50= 2.12, 95% Cl 1.31, 3.44).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that wheezing is a significant cause of morbidity among children in rural Bangladesh. Greater efforts are needed to prevent pneumonia among children during their infancy to reduce the chances of subsequent development of wheezing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Burney PG, Chinn S, Rona RJ. Has the prevalence of asthma increased in children? Evidence from the national study of health and growth 1973–86. Br Med J 1990; 300: 1306–1310.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gergen PJ, Mullally DI, Evans R III. National survey of prevalence of asthma among children in the United States, 1976 to 1980. Pediatrics 1988; 81: 1–7.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Manfreda J, Becker AB, Wang PZ, Roos LL, Anthonisen NR. Trends in physician-diagnosed asthma prevalence in Manitoba between 1980 and 1990. Chest 1993; 103: 151–157.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Anderson HR, Butland BK, Strachan DP. Trends in prevalence and severity of childhood asthma. Br Med J 1994; 308: 1600–1604.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Steering Committee. Worldwide variation in prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema: ISAAC. Lancet 1998; 351: 1225–1232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Statistical Pocketbook Bangladesh 2000. Government of the peoples Republic of Bangladesh; 2001: 471.

  7. Hassan MR, Kabir AR, Mahmud AM et al. Self-reported asthma symptoms in children and adults of Bangladesh: findings of the National Asthma Prevalence Study. Int J Epidemiol 2002; 31: 483–488.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kabir ML, Rahman F, Hassan MQ et al. Asthma, atopic eczema and allergic rhino-conjunctivitis in school children. Mymensingh Med J 2005; 14: 41–45.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Host A. Frequency of cows milk allergy in childhood. Ann. Allergy. Asthma Immunol 2002 (suppl); 89: 33–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Busse WW. Role and contribution of viral respiratory infections to asthma. Allergy 1993; 48: 57–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gern JE, Rosenthal LA, Sorkness RL et al. Effects of viral respiratory infections on lung development and childhood asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2005; 115: 668–674.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Strachan DP. The prevalence and natural history of wheezing in early childhood. J R Coll Gen Pract 1985; 35: 182–184.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sigurs N, Bjarnason R, Sigurbergsson F, Kjellman B, Bjorksten B. Asthma and immunoglobulin E antibodies after respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis: a prospective cohort study with matched controls. Pediatrics 1995; 95: 500–505.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). Health and Demographic Surveillance System-Matlab Vol. 36, Registration of Health and Demographic Events. ICDDRB Sci Rep 92; 2005.

  15. Fauveau V, Koenig MA, Wojtyniak B, Chakraborty J. Impact of family planning and health services programme on adult female mortality. Health Pol Plann 1988; 3: 271–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zaman K, Baqui AH, Yunus M et al. Association between nutritional status, cell-mediated immune status and acute lower respiratory infections in Bangladeshi children. Eu J Clin Nutr 1996; 50: 309–314.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Zaman K, Baqui AH, Yunus M et al. Acute respiratory infections in children: a community-based longitudinal study in rural Bangladesh. J Trop Pediatr 1997; 43: 133–137.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Baqui AH, Black RE, Sack RB et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of acute and persistent diarrhoea in rural Bangladesh children. Acta Paediatr 1992; 381 (suppl): 15–21.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Henderson J, Hilliard TN, Sherriff A et al. Hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis before 12 months of age and subsequent asthma, atopy and wheeze: A longitudinal birth cohort study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2005; 16: 386–392.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Stein RT, Sherrill D, Morgan WJ et al. Respiratory syncytial virus in early life and risk of wheeze and allergy by age 13 years. Lancet 1999; 354: 541–545.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Sigurs N, Gustafsson PM, Bjarnason R et al. Severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in infancy and asthma and allergy at age 13. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005; 171: 137–141.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Huq F, Rahman M, Nahar N et al. Acute lower respiratory tract infection due to virus among hospitalized children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Rev Infect Dis 1990; 12(Suppl 8): S982–S987.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Welliver RC, Wong DT, Sun M et al. The development of respiratory syncytial virus-specific IgE and the release of histamine in nasopharyngeal secretions after infection. N Engl J Med 1981; 305: 841–846.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Garofalo R, Kimpen JL, Welliver RC et al. Eosinophil degranulation in the respiratory tract during naturally acquired respiratory syncytial virus infection. J Pediatr 1992; 120: 28–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Harrison AM, Bonville CA, Rosenberg HF et al. Respiratory syncytical virus-induced chemokine expression in the lower airways: eosinophil recruitment and degranulation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1999; 159: 1918–1924.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Peebles RS Jr. Viral infections, atopy, and asthma: is there a causal relationship? J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004; 113: S15–S18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Sazawal S, Black RE. Meta-analysis of intervention trials on case-management of pneumonia in community settings. Lancet 1992; 340: 528–533.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Lemanske RF Jr, Dick EC, Swenson CA et al. Rhinovirus upper respiratory infection increases airway hyperreactivity and late asthmatic reactions. J Clin Invest 1989; 83: 1–10.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Friedlander SL, Busse WW. The role of rhinovirus in asthma exacerbations. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2005; 116: 267–273.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Lemanske RF Jr, Jackson DJ, Gangnon RE et al. Rhinovirus illnesses during infancy predict subsequent childhood wheezing. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2005; 116: 571–577.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Nafstad P, Brunekreef B, Skrondal A et al. Early respiratory infections, asthma, and allergy: 10-year follow-up of the Oslo Birth Cohort. Pediatrics 2005; 116: e255–e262.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Robertson CF, Heycock E, Bishop J, Nolan T, Olinsky A, Phelan PD. Prevalence of asthma in Melbourne schoolchildren: changes over 26 years. Br Med J 1991; 302: 1116–1118.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Karunasekera KAW, Jayasinghe JACT, Alwis LWGR. Risk factors for childhood asthma: A Sri Lankan Study. J Trop Pediatr 2001; 47: 142–145.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Dold S, Wjst M, Mutius EV, Reitmeir P, Stiepel E. Genetic risk for asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Arch Dis Child 1992; 67: 1018–1022.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo University Graduate School of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan

    Haruko Takeuchi

  2. The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public health, Baltimore, USA

    Abdullah H. Baqui

  3. Graduate School of Medicine, The University of, Tokyo, Japan

    Susmu Wakai

  4. Tokyo Kasei University, Tokyo, Japan

    Tsutomu Iwata

  5. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Khalequz Zaman, Md Yunus, Shams El Arifeen & Hafizur R. Chowdhury

Authors
  1. Khalequz Zaman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Haruko Takeuchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Md Yunus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shams El Arifeen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hafizur R. Chowdhury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Abdullah H. Baqui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Susmu Wakai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Tsutomu Iwata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Khalequz Zaman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zaman, K., Takeuchi, H., Yunus, M. et al. Asthma in rural Bangladeshi children. Indian J Pediatr 74, 539–543 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-007-0104-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-007-0104-0

Key words

Search

Navigation