Bronchial Asthma Control Among School Children in Abha City, Saudi Arabia

Background: Asthma is a chronic disease known to have an increasing incidence and severity among children. The parents of children with bronchial asthma have an essential role in managing the disease. Therefore, the burden of this disease needs to be explored. Objective: To assess the control of bronchial asthma among secondary school students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 487 secondary schools in Abha City was done during the 2017 academic year. The data collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire included personal characteristics, identified precipitants of asthmatic attacks and the Asthma Control Test. Results: The most frequent allergens included dust (95.6%), smoke (80%) and incense (65.9%). The disease was not controlled in 80% of the asthmatic respondents. The prevalence of the disease was significantly higher among cigarette smokers than non-smokers (20.7% vs 8.5%, p = 0.028). Students who were allergic to incense had a significantly higher prevalence of uncontrolled asthma than those who were not allergic to incense (p = 0.021). Conclusions: Most cases of asthma are not controlled, and some cases have seasonality, mainly during winter and autumn. Allergy to Arabian incense is a risk factor for poor control of bronchial asthma in the population studied.