An Overview of Integrated Risk Factors with Prevention and Prevalence of Asthma at the Global Level

Abstract

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses in childhood, adulthood and pregnancy with a current occurrence of 6-9 percent, but at an alarming rate of increase. Asthma is a complex genetic disorder that is heavily affected by the environment. In association with significant morbidity, quality of life, and healthcare costs, it is putting an increasing strain on our society. Some factors related to pregnancy, i.e., diet-related, antibiotic uses, and stress; childhood risk factors, i.e., lung function, exposure to smoking, animal etc. and adulthood risk factor, i.e., pollution-related etc., are responsible for trends in incidence and mortality due to asthma at a Global level and Indian population. Data were collected from PubMed, Web of Sciences, CINHAL, WHO Clinical trial register, Google Scholar, and official websites of various asthma societies and statistically analyzed using ANOVA tests. Data were analyzed for India and the specific population of the northern region of India during the last five years. Risk factors related to asthma at different stages, i.e., genetic, pregnancy, childhood, and adulthood, were reviewed, and the prevalence of asthma at the Global level, India and northern India, was analyzed and compared. The mean Global prevalence of asthma was found to be 281.3±14.7 (SD), whereas, for India, it was 22.78±8.605. After applying One Way ANOVA, a significant difference (t=48.44, df=4) was found between the Global and Indian prevalence of asthma, i.e., the mean difference of 259.7±11.99. The mean value was found highest in Delhi and Rajasthan, having values of 19.74±11.79 and 13.58±9.47, whereas Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh recorded asthma’s prevalence as 11.87±7.83 and 4.32±2.32 respectively. Himachal and Haryana acquired almost equal values of asthma at 1.67±0.13 and 1.23±0.33.