title: Risk factors of childhood asthma in children attending Lyari General Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the factors associated with asthma in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case-control study was conducted in the paediatrics clinic of Lyari General Hospital, Karachi, from May to October 2010. Children 1-15 years of age attending the clinic represented the cases, while the control group had children who were closely related (sibling or cousin) to the cases but did not have the symptoms of disease at the time. Data was collected through a proforma and analysed using SPSS 10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total 346 subjects, 173(50%) each comprised the two groups. According to univariable analysis the risk factors were presence of at least one smoker (odds ratio: 3.6; 95% confidence interval: 2.3-5.8), resident of kacha house (odds ratio: 16.2; 95% confidence interval: 3.8-69.5),living in room without windows (odds ratio: 9.3; 95% confidence interval: 2.1-40.9) and living in houses without adequate sunlight (odds ratio: 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-2.4).Using multivariable modelling, family history of asthma (odds ratio: 5.9; 95% confidence interval: 3.1-11.6), presence of at least one smoker at home (odds ratio: 4.1; 95% confidence interval: 2.3-7.2), people living in a room without a window (odds ratio: 5.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.15-26.3) and people living in an area without adequate sunlight (odds ratio: 2.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.13-4.31) were found to be independent risk factors of asthma in children adjusting for age, gender and history of weaning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Family history of asthma, children living with at least one smoker at home, room without windows and people living in an area without sunlight were major risk factors of childhood asthma.
authors.affiliation: Paediatrics Unit-III, Dow University of Health Sciences & Civil Hospital Karachi.
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamran
authors.affiliation: Paediatrics Unit-III, Dow University of Health Sciences & Civil Hospital Karachi.
authors.forename: Shahina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hanif
authors.affiliation: Paediatrics Unit-III, Dow University of Health Sciences & Civil Hospital Karachi.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murtaza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings; D013472:Sunlight; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014691:Ventilation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Childhood asthma, Risk factors, Inadequate sunlight, Smoker, Residence.