Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2020 Jan;12(1):86-98. 10.4168/aair.2020.12.1.86.

Associated Factors for Asthma Severity in Korean Children: A Korean Childhood Asthma Study

• Lee E
• Song DJ
• Kim WK
• Suh DI
• Baek HS
• Shin M
• Yoo Y
• Kim JT
• Kwon JW
• Jang GC
• Lim DH
• Yang HJ
• Kim HS
• Seo JH
• Woo SI
• Kim HY
• Shin YH
• Lee JS
• Yoon J
• Jung S
• Han M
• Eom E
• Yu J

• KMID: 2462574
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2020.12.1.86

Abstract

PURPOSE
Childhood asthma has a considerable social impact and economic burden, especially in severe asthma. This study aimed to identify the proportion of childhood asthma severity and to evaluate associated factors for greater asthma severity.
METHODS
This study was performed on 667 children aged 5-15 years with asthma from the nationwide 19 hospitals in the Korean childhood Asthma Study (KAS). Asthma was classified as mild intermittent, mild persistent, and moderate/severe persistent groups according to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program recommendations. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify the associated factors for greater asthma severity.
RESULTS
Mild persistent asthma was most prevalent (39.0%), followed by mild intermittent (37.6%), moderate persistent (22.8%), and severe persistent asthma (0.6%). Onset later than 6 years of age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.69 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 1.92 for moderate/severe persistent asthma) tended to increase asthma severity. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (aOR, 1.53 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 1.85 for moderate/severe persistent asthma), and current dog ownership with sensitization to dog dander (aOR, 5.86 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 6.90 for moderate/severe persistent asthma) showed increasing trends with greater asthma severity. Lower maternal education levels (aOR, 2.32) and no usage of an air purifier in exposure to high levels of outdoor air pollution (aOR, 1.76) were associated with moderate/severe persistent asthma.
CONCLUSIONS
Modification of identified environmental factors associated with greater asthma severity might help better control childhood asthma, thereby reducing the disease burden due to childhood asthma.

Keyword

Child; asthma; severity; risk factor; environmental exposure; smoke; dogs; education status; air pollution

MeSH Terms

Air Filters
Air Pollution
Animals
Asthma*
Child*
Dander
Dogs
Education
Environmental Exposure
Humans
Logistic Models
Odds Ratio
Ownership
Risk Factors
Smoke
Social Change
Tobacco
Smoke

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