title: Prevalence and severity of asthma among Indian school children aged between 6 and 14 years: associations with parental smoking and traffic pollution.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Phase three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children (ISAAC) was carried out at various sites in India. The prevalence of asthma symptoms in school children and the effect of environmental tobacco smoke and traffic pollution on the occurrence of asthma were analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of school children, aged 6-7 yr and 13-14 yr, participated according to the ISAAC protocol. Schools were randomly selected and responses to the ISAAC questionnaire were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of asthma was 5.35% in the 6-7 yr age group and 6.05% in the 13-14 yr age group. The odds ratios (ORs) for the risk of asthma in children with exposure to mild, moderate and heavy traffic pollution compared with minimal traffic pollution were 1.63 (95% CI: 1.43, 1.85), 1.71 (95% CI: 1.49, 1.96) and 1.53 (95% CI: 1.31, 1.78), respectively, in the younger group. Similarly, in the older group, they were 1.19 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.36), 1.51 (95% CI: 1.31, 1.75) and 1.51 (95% CI: 1.29, 1.76). Asthma was associated with maternal smoking [6-7 yr group: OR = 2.72 (2.05, 3.6); 13-14 yr group: OR = 2.14 (1.72, 2.66)] and paternal smoking [6-7 yr group: OR = 1.9 (1.70, 2.11); 13-14 yr group: OR = 1.21 (1.09, 1.34)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of asthma was lower in the 6-7 than the 13-14 yr age group. Environmental tobacco smoke and traffic pollution were the factors most strongly associated with asthma in Indian children.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Institute of Respiratory Diseases , Jaipur , India .
authors.forename: Sheetu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: b Department of Medicine , SMS Medical College , Jaipur , India .
authors.forename: Bharat Bhushan
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: c Department of Internal Medicine , All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi , India .
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: d Department of Medicine , Respiratory Division, S.P. Medical College , Bikaner , India , and.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabir
authors.affiliation: e Department of Pulmonary Medicine , Asthma Bhawan , Jaipur , India.
authors.forename: Virendra
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: Asthma; epidemiology; physiological disorders; pollution; smoking