Adolescents and School Asthma Knowledge and Attitudes

Introduction: bronchial asthma is a chronic disease that affects a high percentage of adolescents, with a significant restriction of daily activities, and is a cause of school absenteeism. The relationships between adolescents and asthma disease in school were assessed, with a view to improving knowledge about the asthmatic adolescent. Methods: a survey was conducted in the Lisbon metropolitan area, covering urban (Lisbon) and rural (Lourinh˜a ) zones and including 1879 students and 81 teachers from the 7th to 9th high school years. The study groups were asthmatic students, their peers, and teachers. A self-administered questionnaire was applied to collect information. The results were compared with a reference group of 91 asthmatic students attending our Department of Immunoallergy-Hospital Dona Estefânia. Cotinine urinary measurements were made in a sample of asthmatics and a control group. Results: the prevalence of current asthma among students was 10%. Estimates of asthma annual burden among 7th to 9th year students from Lisbon and Lourinh˜a high schools included 4,307 days missed from school, 4,148 medical consultations and a minimum of 351 hospital emergency care and 80 hospital admissions. Exposure to passive smoking was not significantly different between asthmatic students and theirs peers. Cotinine urinary measurements did not discriminate between exposed and non-exposed individuals. Cigarette smoking was almost as common among adolescent asthmatics (5.4%) as it was in non-asthmatic subjects (6.7%). However, 55% of asthmatics mentioned active and passive smoking as an asthma exacerbating factor. Asthmatic students, theirs peers and teachers showed a deficient knowledge about asthma (mean group scores: 17.6; 14.2 and 17.7 of a possible 30), particularly in the areas related to asthma recognition and its management. Asthmatics attending our Allergy Department had the highest scores. All groups showed tolerance in the sense of a positive and understanding attitude toward a person with asthma. However, traditional beliefs about asthma disease (dependence, inferiority...) were confirmed. A positive correlation between knowledge levels and tolerance attitudes was found. Conclusion: in view of the dimension of the asthma problem in adolescence and its social and economic impact, it is justifiable to assess the need for the implementation of asthma education programs in schools in order to improve asthma management by the adolescents and their schools.

Prevalence of Asthma in a Portuguese Countryside Town:Repercussions on Absenteeism and Self-Concept

Background: Childhood asthma represents an increasing health problem and is the leading cause of hospital admission and absenteeism in children with chronic disease. It also compromises quality of life, eventually contributing to disturbances in self-concept. Self-concept is a recent and global perspective of “the self” and relates to skills, self-image and self-esteem. Little information is available on this topic and there are no data from Portuguese countryside towns. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asthma among all school children in the 5th and 6th grades in a Portuguese countryside town and to establish its possible correlation with absenteeism and self-concept. Methods: In April 2002, two questionnaires were administered in the presence of the researcher to a group of 950 children attending different schools. The children completed the internationally renowned questionnaires: ISAAC and the Self-Concept Scale by Susan Harter. Results: Our sample (n = 818) had a mean age of 11 years (10-15 years) and a male-to-female ratio of 1/1. The cumulative prevalence of asthma was11.9% and that of active asthma was 8.8 %; 63.9% of asthmatics were male and 36.1 % were female. The mean age of asthmatics was 11.34 years and 74 % had active symptoms. Comparison of this group of 97 asthmatic children with the remaining children revealed a statistically significant correlation between the presence of asthma and school absenteeism (global: p = 0.04; gymnastics: 0.05). Regarding the Self-Concept Scale a statistically significant association was found between the presence of asthma and school achievement (p = 0.027), physical appearance (p = 0.015), behavior (p < 0.000) and self-esteem (p < 0.000). No statistically significant correlations were found in social acceptance (p = 0.289) or athletic competence (p = 0.085). Asthmatic boys had higher self-concept scores than girls, except in the domain of behavior. Conclusions: Twelve percent of the population studied was asthmatic. In asthmatic children, absenteeism was higher and self-concept was lower for almost all domains, except social acceptance and athletic achievement, probably due to overprotection.

Factores de Risco para Asma Activa em Idade Escolar: Estudo Prospectivo com Oito Anos de Duração

A sibilância recorrente na infância é uma entidade clínica prevalente e heterogénea do pontode vista da história natural e do prognóstico. Efectuou-se um estudo prospectivo com 8 anos de duração, com o objectivo de relacionar a evolução clínica da sibilância recorrente nos primeiros anos de vida, com factores de prognóstico associados com a persistência da sintomatologia. Uma coorte de 308 crianças com sibilância recorrente, com idade ≤6 anos, foi incluída no estudo em 1993. Foi aplicado um questionário clínico, realizados testes cutâneos por prick e efectuado doseamento sérico de IgE total. Em 1996 procedeu-se a uma primeira reavaliação sistemática destas crianças. Em 2001 foi efectuada nova reavaliação sistemática, possível em 81% destas crianças (n=249), com repetição dos testes cutâneos e realização de avaliação funcional respiratória,em período intercrise, com espirometria com prova de broncodilatação (BD). As crianças reavaliadas apresentavam média etária de 11 anos (8-14 anos) e relação sexo M/F de 1.7/1. Permaneciam sintomáticas em 61% dos casos. A prevalência de atopia foi de 48% em 1993, 65% em 1996 e 75% em 2001. Pela realização de um modelo de regressão logística múltiplo foram identificados como factores de risco para asma activa em idade escolar: história pessoal de rinite alérgica (OR=15.8, IC95%=6.1-40.8; p<0.001), asma paterna (OR=7.2, IC95%=1.7-29.7; p=0.007), história pessoal de eczema atópico (OR=5.9, IC95%=2.2-15.7; p<0.001), asma materna (OR=5.4, IC95%=1.7-17.1; p=0.004), evidência de sensibilização alergénica (OR=3.4, IC95%=1.2-10.4;p=0.03) e início dos sintomas ≥2 anos de idade (OR=2.1, IC95%=1.1-4.8; p=0.04); a frequência de infantário antes dos 12 meses de idade foi identificada como factor protector (OR=0.4, IC95%=0.2- 0.9; p=0.04). Desenvolveram sensibilização alergénica de novo (ácaros do pó >80%) 66 das 128 crianças não atópicas em 1993 (52%). Apresentavam obstrução brônquica 36% das crianças: 47% das sintomáticas e 18% das assintomáticas (p<0.001). A prova de BD foi positiva em 35%: 47% nos sintomáticos e 13% nos assintomáticos (p<0.001). Concluindo, foram identificados como factores de mau prognóstico, antecedentes pessoais de doença alérgica, história parental de asma, presença de sensibilização alergénica e início dos sintomas na segunda infância. Os sintomas clínicos podem preceder em anos a sensibilização alergénica, realçando a importância da instituição precoce de medidas de controlo ambiental. Alterações nas provas funcionais respiratórias, mais frequentes nas asmas activas, estavam também presentes em crianças actualmente sem clínica, reforçando a necessidade de valorizar marcadores objectivos nesta cada vez mais prevalente doença respiratória crónica.

The Management of the Allergic Child at School: EAACI/GA2LEN Task Force on the Allergic Child at School

Allergy affects at least one-quarter of European schoolchildren, it reduces quality of life and may impair school performance; there is a risk of severe reactions and, in rare cases, death. Allergy is a multi-system disorder, and children often have several co-existing diseases, i.e. allergic rhinitis, asthma, eczema and food allergy. Severe food allergy reactions may occur for the first time at school, and overall 20% of food allergy reactions occur in schools. Up to two-thirds of schools have at least one child at risk of anaphylaxis but many are poorly prepared. A cooperative partnership between doctors, community and school nurses, school staff, parents and the child is necessary to ensure allergic children are protected. Schools and doctors should adopt a comprehensive approach to allergy training, ensuring that all staff can prevent, recognize and initiate treatment of allergic reactions.