PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF ASTHMA, RHINITIS AND ECZEMA IN SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE UAE

Dr. Saeed Abdulla, Dr. Mohammed Shamssain* and Professor Nageeb Hassan

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to investigate further trends in prevalence and severity of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in schoolchildren. Methods: The Arabic and English version of The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) standard questionnaire was used. Four thousand eight hundred and forty six schoolchildren were studied. Data were analysed using SPSS. Results: The prevalence rates of 'ever wheezed', 'current wheeze', 'speech limitation', 'ever diagnosed with asthma', 'dry cough' and 'exercise-induced asthma' were 19.9%, 14.1%, 5.0%, 19.5%, 16.7%, and 12.2%, respectively. The prevalence rates of symptoms of allergic rhinitis, current rhinitis, rhinitis accompanied with itchy/tearing eyes in the last 12 months' and ever diagnosed with allergic rhinitis were 18.8%, 27.7%, 19.5% and 14.9% respectively. The prevalence of eczema ever, current eczema, areas of eczema-like and ever diagnosed with eczema were 12.5%, 13.9%, 23.1% and 15.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of asthma, respiratory symptoms, blocked nose symptoms and eczema symptoms were relatively higher in Fujairah compared with the other emirates. This might be related to its location in a mountainous area where dust from industrial stone crushers is prevalent. Dubai had the highest prevalence of rhinitis accompanied with itchy watery eyes in the last 12 months' compared with Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah. Males showed a higher percentage rate of asthma and allergic rhinitis symptoms than females. However, the prevalence of eczema was higher in females than males.

Keywords: asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema.