Characterization of Asthma and Its Determinants in Ethiopia: Part of the African Severe Asthma Project (ASAP)
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ethiopian Medical Journal
Abstract
Asthma is a major public health problem globally affecting 339 million people with 300,000 annual
death. African Severe Asthma Program was a multi-country prospective cohort study designed to characterize
severe asthma in three African countries, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. In this study, we describe the baseline
characteristics and disease severity among asthmatics enrolled in the Ethiopia site of African Severe Asthma Program.
Asthmatics seen at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital from August 2016 to May 2018 were studied.
Asthma was diagnosed based on symptoms and spirometry. Baseline demographic and clinical data were collected
using a structured questionnaire. Standardized research tools were used to assess asthma severity, asthma control
and asthma quality of life. A total of 419 asthmatic patients were enrolled in the study; the mean age for the group was 52 ± 8 years
and 58.2 % were female. The majority of the participants, 365 (87.2%), had a prior diagnosis of asthma with a
median (IQR) age at first diagnosis of 29 (IQR: 22 - 36) years. A family history of asthma was present in 149
(35.6%) subjects. Current or previous cigarette smoking was reported in 8.6% of the participants. Overall, 93.8%
of the participants reported uncontrolled asthma symptoms (ACQ >1.5). More than half of the patients, had severe
persistent asthma and 35% presented with one or more comorbidities.
Conclusions: In Ethiopia, asthmatics presenting to a tertiary care hospital were characterized as predominantly
female with late onset disease, poor control, and associated comorbidities.
Key Words: Asthma, Characteristics, determinants and Severe
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Citation
Bekele, A. (2021). Characterization of Asthma and Its Determinants in Ethiopia: Part of the African Severe Asthma Project (ASAP). Ethiopian Medical Journal, 59(02). Retrieved from https://emjema.org/index.php/EMJ/article/view/1738