title: Self-reported asthma symptoms in children and adults of Bangladesh: findings of the National Asthma Prevalence Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No population-based studies to determine the magnitude of the asthma problem have been carried out in Bangladesh. This study aimed to define the prevalence of asthma as well as to identify the risk factors of asthma in the general population of Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1999 to August 1999 on 5642 Bangladeshi people. Data were collected from randomly selected primary sampling units of 8 municipality blocks of 4 large metropolitan cities, 12 municipality blocks of 6 district towns and 12 villages of 6 districts chosen randomly from all 64 districts of the country. Face-to-face interviews were performed with the housewives or other guardians at the household level using a structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of asthma (wheeze in the last 12 months) was 6.9% (95% CI : 6.2-7.6). The prevalence of other asthma definitions were: ever wheeze (lifetime wheeze) 8.0% (95% CI : 7.3-8.7); perceived asthma (perception of having asthma) 7.6% (95% CI : 6.9-8.3); doctor diagnosed asthma (diagnosis of asthma by any category of doctor either qualified or unqualified) 4.4% (95% CI : 3.9-4.9). The prevalence of asthma in children (5-14 years) was higher than in adults (15-44 years) (7.3% versus 5.3%; odds ratio [OR] = 1.41, 95% CI : 1.09-1.82). Asthma in children was found to be significantly higher in households with <or=3 people than in larger households (OR = 2.20, 95% CI : 1.24-3.20). The low-income group (OR = 1.41, 95% CI : 1.04-1.92) and illiterate group (OR = 1.51, 95% CI : 1.01-2.24) were more vulnerable to asthma attacks than the high-income group and more educated people, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthma in Bangladesh appears to be a substantial public health problem: an estimated 7 million people including 4 million children suffer from asthma-related symptoms.
authors: Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh. asmaasso@bttb.net.bd.
authors: M Rashidul
authors: MR
authors: Hassan
authors: A R M Luthful
authors: AR
authors: Kabir
authors: Asif M
authors: AM
authors: Mahmud
authors: Fazlur
authors: F
authors: Rahman
authors: M Ali
authors: MA
authors: Hossain
authors: K Saifuddin
authors: KS
authors: Bennoor
authors: Md Ruhul
authors: MR
authors: Amin
authors: M Mostafizur
authors: MM
authors: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001459:Bangladesh; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors