title: Symptoms, severity and asthma control in 5-14 y-old Lebanon school children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study addressed symptoms' profile, severity and determinants of asthma control in school-aged patients (5-14 y) across Lebanon.
  
  
  METHODS
  It is a cross-sectional study, applied on school children with physician-diagnosed asthma (PDA), divided into two groups: those who were on controllers (C+) and those who were not (NC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 5544 children, 275 (4.96%) had PDA. The C+ group (32.7%) had higher mother's education than the NC group (45.9%) (p = 0.037). NC children were more frequently found in public versus private schools (p = 0.0001). Higher frequencies of regular visits to the doctor were noted in the C+ compared to NC group. In C+ group, 90% were on reliever and controller, and 10% just on one controller. A trend for more severity in the C+ group was noted compared to the NC group. An impact of asthma on daily activities was reported by 40% in the C+ group versus 34% in the NC group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of PDA in 5-14 y school children was quite adapted according to the recommendations. However, total control was reported in low percentages of patients reflecting universal discrepancy between evidence base medicine and real life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St. George University Hospital Medical Center & Faculty of Medicine, Balamand University, Beirut, Lebanon. mirnawaked@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waked
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salameh
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector; D012574:Schools / Q000145:classification; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents