Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (4)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dagoye, D.
Right arrow Articles by Hubbard, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dagoye, D.
Right arrow Articles by Hubbard, R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Q J Med 2004; 97: 489-498
QJM vol. 97 no. 8 © Association of Physicians 2004; all rights reserved.

Domestic risk factors for wheeze in urban and rural Ethiopian children

D. Dagoye1, Z. Bekele1, K. Woldemichael1, H. Nida1, M. Yimam1, A.J. Venn2, A. Hall3, J.R. Britton2, S.A. Lewis4, T. Mckeever2 and R. Hubbard2

From the 1Faculty of Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia, 2Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, 3London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, and 4Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

Received 20 January 2004 and in revised form 14 April 2004

Background: To identify which environmental exposures underpin the emergence of asthma epidemics, we need to study epidemics as they appear, as is now happening in the Jimma region of Ethiopia. We have previously studied risk factors for asthma in adults in Jimma and have now completed a survey of young children.

Aim: To establish the prevalence of asthma in urban and rural children in Jimma, and to identify locally important risk factors.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: All children aged 1–5 years living in Jimma town and three surrounding rural regions were identified. Data were collected using an interviewer-led questionnaire, and consenting children had skin prick tests to house dust mite and cockroach.

Results: We surveyed 7155 children, of whom 3623 (51%) were female and 4285 (60%) lived in the urban area. The prevalence of wheeze in the last year was 3.4%, and was lower in the rural area (OR 0.47; 95%CI 0.34–0.66). In the urban area, the main risk factors for wheeze were a longer duration of breastfeeding, use of kerosene, and environmental tobacco smoke, while living with animals was protective. In rural children, the main risk factors were a positive skin prick test and living with animals.

Discussion: The prevalence of wheeze in children in the Jimma region is low, particularly in rural children. In addition to having an impact on disease prevalence, place of residence also appears to modify the impact of environmental risk factors for wheeze.

Address correspondence to Dr R. Hubbard, University of Nottingham, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Clinical Sciences Building, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham NG5 1PB. e-mail: Richard.Hubbard{at}nottingham.ac.uk


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.