Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in Tanzania
Background: Limited information exists on the magnitude of asthma and associated factors in Africa. In Tanzania, very few studies have conducted epidemiological investigation of adult asthma. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors for asthma in Tanzania. Methods: A cross-sectional s...
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221339842500154X |
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| author | Hussein Hassan Mwanga Simon Henry David Mamuya Bente Elisabeth Moen Cecilie Svanes |
| author_facet | Hussein Hassan Mwanga Simon Henry David Mamuya Bente Elisabeth Moen Cecilie Svanes |
| author_sort | Hussein Hassan Mwanga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Limited information exists on the magnitude of asthma and associated factors in Africa. In Tanzania, very few studies have conducted epidemiological investigation of adult asthma. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors for asthma in Tanzania. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 968 adults was conducted. An interviewer-administered European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire was used. Current asthma was defined as having had an asthma attack, current use of asthma medication or being woken up by an attack of shortness of breath, in the past 12 months. Asthma outcomes were analysed using multivariate regression models. Results: The median age was 43 years and 50 % were females. The prevalence of current asthma was 10 %, while 4 % reported doctor-diagnosed asthma and 10 % reported ≥2 asthma symptoms. The prevalence of hay fever was 10 %, and 9 % reported family history of allergy. Risk factors associated with ≥2 asthma symptoms included hay fever (OR = 4.94; 95 %CI: 2.85–8.58), eczema (3.28; 1.51–7.11), family history of allergy (2.34; 1.23–4.47), repeated childhood chest infections (7.98; 3.70–17.24), having no food to eat (3.83; 1.86–7.87) and exposure to biomass fuels-use of wood for cooking/heating (6.52; 3.16–13.48). Nonallergic current asthma was strongly associated with low socioeconomic status (5.66; 1.16–27.71). Conclusions: Asthma was relatively common with a prevalence of 10 %. Limited food availability, exposure to biomass fuels, allergy and childhood respiratory infections, were identified as important risk factors for asthma. These findings underscore the need to identify the specific aspects of low socioeconomic status that can be targeted to reduce the asthma risk. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-787ec30549554cfbbdcb979c612b02bc |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2213-3984 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-787ec30549554cfbbdcb979c612b02bc2025-08-20T03:14:01ZengElsevierClinical Epidemiology and Global Health2213-39842025-07-013410206510.1016/j.cegh.2025.102065Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in TanzaniaHussein Hassan Mwanga0Simon Henry David Mamuya1Bente Elisabeth Moen2Cecilie Svanes3Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaCentre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Corresponding author. Centre for International Health Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen Overlege Danielssens Hus, Årstadveien 21, 5009, Bergen, Norway.Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, NorwayBackground: Limited information exists on the magnitude of asthma and associated factors in Africa. In Tanzania, very few studies have conducted epidemiological investigation of adult asthma. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors for asthma in Tanzania. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 968 adults was conducted. An interviewer-administered European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire was used. Current asthma was defined as having had an asthma attack, current use of asthma medication or being woken up by an attack of shortness of breath, in the past 12 months. Asthma outcomes were analysed using multivariate regression models. Results: The median age was 43 years and 50 % were females. The prevalence of current asthma was 10 %, while 4 % reported doctor-diagnosed asthma and 10 % reported ≥2 asthma symptoms. The prevalence of hay fever was 10 %, and 9 % reported family history of allergy. Risk factors associated with ≥2 asthma symptoms included hay fever (OR = 4.94; 95 %CI: 2.85–8.58), eczema (3.28; 1.51–7.11), family history of allergy (2.34; 1.23–4.47), repeated childhood chest infections (7.98; 3.70–17.24), having no food to eat (3.83; 1.86–7.87) and exposure to biomass fuels-use of wood for cooking/heating (6.52; 3.16–13.48). Nonallergic current asthma was strongly associated with low socioeconomic status (5.66; 1.16–27.71). Conclusions: Asthma was relatively common with a prevalence of 10 %. Limited food availability, exposure to biomass fuels, allergy and childhood respiratory infections, were identified as important risk factors for asthma. These findings underscore the need to identify the specific aspects of low socioeconomic status that can be targeted to reduce the asthma risk.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221339842500154XAdultsAsthmaDeveloping countryTanzania |
| spellingShingle | Hussein Hassan Mwanga Simon Henry David Mamuya Bente Elisabeth Moen Cecilie Svanes Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in Tanzania Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health Adults Asthma Developing country Tanzania |
| title | Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in Tanzania |
| title_full | Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in Tanzania |
| title_short | Prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in Tanzania |
| title_sort | prevalence and risk factors for asthma among adults in tanzania |
| topic | Adults Asthma Developing country Tanzania |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221339842500154X |
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