Asthma control and predictive factors among adults in Saudi Arabia: Results from the Epidemiological Study on the Management of Asthma in Asthmatic Middle East Adult Population study

Hamdan Al-Jahdali; Siraj Wali; Gamal Salem; Fahad Al-Hameed; Abdullah Almotair; Mohammed Zeitouni; Hassan Aref; Rufai Nadama; Mohammed M Algethami; Ahmed Al Ghamdy; Tarek Dihan

doi:10.4103/atm.ATM_348_18

Asthma control and predictive factors among adults in Saudi Arabia: Results from the Epidemiological Study on the Management of Asthma in Asthmatic Middle East Adult Population study

Ann Thorac Med. 2019 Apr-Jun;14(2):148-154. doi: 10.4103/atm.ATM_348_18.

Authors

Hamdan Al-Jahdali^{1

2

3}, Siraj Wali⁴, Gamal Salem^{5

6}, Fahad Al-Hameed⁷, Abdullah Almotair⁸, Mohammed Zeitouni⁹, Hassan Aref^{10

11}, Rufai Nadama¹², Mohammed M Algethami¹³, Ahmed Al Ghamdy¹⁴, Tarek Dihan¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ McGill University, Québec, Canada.
² King Saud University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, KSA.
³ Division of Pulmonary, Sleep Disorders Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, KSA.
⁴ Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, KSA.
⁵ King Abdulaziz Airbase Hospital, Dharan, KSA.
⁶ Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁷ Department of ICU and Pulmonary, College of Medicine, King Saud ben Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, KSA.
⁸ Pulmonary Division, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, KSA.
⁹ Pulmonary Division, King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, KSA.
¹⁰ Pulmonary Division, Suliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, KSA.
¹¹ Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
¹² Pulmonary Division, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, KSA.
¹³ Alhada Military Hospital, Taif, KSA.
¹⁴ Kind Abdulaziz General Hospital, Jeddah, KSA.
¹⁵ King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, KSA.

Abstract

Context: Asthma control is suboptimal in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the level of asthma control in Saudi patients as per the Global Initiative for Asthma 2012 classification and explore its potential predictive factors.

Settings and design: Epidemiological Study on the Management of Asthma in Asthmatic Middle East Adult Population (ESMAA) is a multicentric, descriptive, epidemiological study assessing asthma management in the MENA region. In this article, we report the results of patients from Saudi Arabia included in the ESMAA study.

Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with asthma at least 1 year before study entry were considered for inclusion. Asthma control level and its predictive factors were explored. Treatment adherence and quality of life (QoL) were assessed by MMAS-4^© and Short Form 8 Health Survey QoL questionnaires, respectively.

Statistical analysis used: Descriptive statistics were done considering two-sided 95% confidence intervals. Logistic regression was used to explore the potential predictive factors of asthma control. All statistical tests were two-sided, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Data of 1009 patients from Saudi Arabia were analyzed. Less than one-third of patients (30.1%) were found to have controlled asthma with significantly higher QoL. High level of asthma control was reported among male patients and those with high educational level, while age, body mass index, and adherence to treatment were found to have no effect on asthma control.

Conclusions: Asthma control remains suboptimal among Saudi population. This needs huge efforts to achieve acceptable levels of control and better QoL for asthma patients. Further studies are still needed in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region.

Keywords: Asthma; Epidemiological Study on the Management of Asthma in Asthmatic Middle East Adult Population; Global Initiative for Asthma; MMAS-4© questionnaire; Middle East and North Africa; Saudi Arabia; Short Form-8 Health Survey quality of life; asthma control test.