ArticleBMJ open2021
Epidemiology of wheeze among preschool children: a population-based cross-sectional study from rural Sri Lanka.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets: a meta-analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Pooled it
- Objective detection of wheeze at home by parents through a digital device: usage patterns and relationship with SABA administration.Pediatric pulmonology · 2025Trial
- Global Asthma Disparities: Deciphering the Multifaceted Environmental Exposome Between Eastern and Western Populations.Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology · 2026Review
- Article
- Household fuel use and severe asthma symptoms among preschool children in Gauteng province, South Africa: a cross-sectional study.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Prevalence, symptomatology and factors associated with asthma in adolescents aged 13-14 years from rural Sri Lanka: an analytical cross-sectional study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2024Article
- Clinical efficacy and satisfaction of a digital wheeze detector in a multicentre randomised controlled trial: the WheezeScan study.ERJ open research · 2024Article
- Association between maternal occupational exposure to cleaning chemicals during pregnancy and childhood wheeze and asthma.Frontiers in epidemiology · 2023Article
- Prevalence of asthma and its symptoms in Sri Lankan adults.BMC public health · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo assess the prevalence of wheeze and factors associated with its severity among 3-6 years old children. METHODOLOGY:
designA population-based, cross-sectional study using the WHO 30 cluster methodology with probability proportionate to size sampling.
setting36 preschools registered at the divisional secretariat offices of Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka.
participantsWe recruited 1060 preschool children from 36 preschools aged 3-6 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: We used the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood questionnaire to assess the prevalence, symptomatology and associated factors of wheeze.
resultsThe study sample consisted of 548 (51.70%) male and 512 (48.30%) female children with a mean age of 4.41 (±0.66) years. At least one wheezing episode ever was reported in 323 (30.47%; 95% CI 27.71% to 33.34%) children and 247 (23.30%; 95% CI 20.79% to 25.97%) children had a wheezing attack in the preceding year. Severe episodes of wheezing were reported in 76 (7.17%; 95% CI 5.69% to 8.89%) participants. However, only 27 (35.53%; 95% CI 24.88% to 47.34%) children with severe wheezing had been diagnosed as asthmatics by a clinician. The identified independent risk factors for severe wheeze were allergic rhinitis (OR 6.90; 95% CI 3.84 to 12.40), domestic dog(s) (OR 2.34; 95% CI 1.01 to 5.40), frequent consumption of skipjack tuna (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.11 to 3.39) and passive smoking (OR 1.70; 95% CI 0.93 to 3.11) while living in a house with a cement floor is a protective factor (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.80).
conclusionWheezing commonly affects one-fourth of preschool children in rural Sri Lanka. Severe wheezing is often not diagnosed as asthma despite frequent symptoms, probably due to hesitancy in labelling preschool children as asthmatics. Allergic rhinitis, domestic dogs, frequent consumption of Skipjack tuna fish and exposure to passive smoking were independent risk factors for severe wheeze.
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