Risk factors in asthmatic children. Knowledge of their parents about asthma

Introduction. Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease in children. Previous studies have shown that there are different factors that may influence asthma in children. For this reason it is important for parents to be aware of these risk factors. The first objective of the study was to determine the pre-existing risk factors in this condition, the second objective was to evaluate the course of patients during the last 4 weeks, the third objective was to ascertain the degree of knowledge that parents have about this disease. Material and Methods. A study was conducted applying a questionnaire to parents of asthmatic patients who attended the Emergency Department at the Hospital del Nino DIF in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico during the second half of 2010. Results. Fifty-three parents completed the questionnaire. The identified risk factors were: to have a family member with asthma; cold weather; stress; frequent respiratory diseases. Regarding the course of patients in the last month, their parents reported that their child had one or more spells of cough, wheezing and dyspnea per day. Most of the children went to the hospital once a month for their condition. The level of parental knowledge on asthma, was estimated at a score of 56.7 +/- 7.0. Conclusion. We found that parents have a low awareness of the condition of their children; educational programs of parents and care takers are necessary in order to improve care of asthmatic patients.