Background: Asthma has a high prevalence worldwide among children. However, with comorbidity such as obesity the symptoms and signs of asthma could be exaggerated.
Objective: This work aimed to assess the possible relation between obesity and the incidence of asthma among children, and to decrease the burden of childhood asthma by evaluating the associated risk factors for asthma and obesity.
Subjects and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included a total of 80 obese and non-obese children with bronchial asthma, attending Pediatric Outpatient Clinic, Suez Canal University Hospitals. The children's ages ranged from two to twelve.
Results: There were high statistical differences between the obese and non-obese groups regarding weight, mid-arm circumference and BMI. There were statistical differences between the two groups regarding severity of the attacks and the frequency of hospitalization per year (P value <0.001<0.001, 0.001, respectively). There were statistical differences between the two groups regarding the frequency of the day and night symptoms of asthma.
Conclusions: Obesity significantly correlates with asthma incidence, asthma severity, day and night symptoms, and hospitalization frequency. Obesity in asthmatic children is linked to more severe exacerbation and hospitalizations.