Frequency of Sign and Symptoms of Asthma in Schoolchildren in the Yaqui Valley

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of signs and symptoms of asthma and nutritional status in school children attending a Primary Care Level Unit in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study, conducted between January and December 2020. The sample included 425 schoolchildren who met the selection criteria. Asthma symptoms were detected through the Asthma Diagnostic Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies, Body Mass Index assessed nutritional status. The rest of the variables were obtained from a structured interview. For bivariate analysis odds ratio and Pearson’s χ² with 95% confidence intervals (p<0.05) were used. Results: 53% were female and 47% male, of the 425 patients. The most frequent signs and symptoms of asthma were recurrent catarrh and wheezing. According to the applied questionnaire, 29% of patients met asthma criteria. Malnutrition was found in 38% of the participants. Conclusions: The frequency of asthma symptoms and child malnutrition were high in the study population compared to other geographical areas of the country.