Health burden of co-morbid asthma and allergic rhinitis in West Indian children.
BACKGROUND
Co-morbid allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma has not been studied in Caribbean countries where there is a high prevalence of childhood asthma.


METHODS
Using the International Primary Care Airways Group (IPAG) guidelines to determine AR, care-givers of 393 (response rate=100%) children attending asthma clinics in selected public sector health facilities in Trinidad, West Indies, were interviewed.


RESULTS
Children (393) were between 2-17 years and included 239 (60.8%) boys and 154 (39.2%) girls. As many as 53.9% of children sampled (95% CI 45.9-55.8) suffered from AR. Children exposed to household smoking were nearly twice as likely to have AR (p<0.0041, OR=1.9, CI 1.22-2.88). Significantly (p<0.01) more asthmatics with AR (154, 58.6%) visited Accident and Emergency (A&E) in the past 12 months. The odds of visiting A&E at least once in the past 12 months for asthmatics with AR were 1.75 (95% CI 1.15-2.68). The average frequency of A&E visits was higher in children who also suffered from AR (1.75 vs 1.36, p<0.04). Age was negatively correlated (-0.21, p<0.005) with exacerbation frequency for asthmatics without AR suggesting A&E visits are independent of age in co-morbid disease. More children with AR (>60%) suffer day and night symptoms (p<0.001), and miss school (59.8%) (p<0.03) at least once a week (p<0.002) than asthmatics without AR (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.03-2.30).


CONCLUSIONS
AR is prevalent in 53.9% of Trinidadian children with asthma. The burden of co-morbid disease in asthmatic children is associated with increased likelihood of asthma-related A&E visits, day and night symptoms and absence from school.
Pinto Pereira
L M
LM
Faculties of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. lexleyp@gmail.com
Jackman
J
J
Figaro
N
N
Babootee
N
N
Cudjoe
G
G
Farrell
S
S
Francis-Regis
C
C
Garcia Henry
K
K
Pandor
A
A
Walters
T
T
Bekele
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D014900:West Indies
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution