Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Objective To evaluate the burden of asthma in five European countries (5EU; France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom [UK]).Design A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted based on the data from the 2018 National Health and Wellness Survey. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), w...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Juan Wisnivesky, Asif H. Khan, Imène Gouia, Juby Jacob-Nara, Siddhesh Kamat, Dena Jaffe, deMauri Mackie, Bridget L. Balkaran
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-05-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e085175.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849730216805531648
author Juan Wisnivesky
Asif H. Khan
Imène Gouia
Juby Jacob-Nara
Siddhesh Kamat
Dena Jaffe
deMauri Mackie
Bridget L. Balkaran
author_facet Juan Wisnivesky
Asif H. Khan
Imène Gouia
Juby Jacob-Nara
Siddhesh Kamat
Dena Jaffe
deMauri Mackie
Bridget L. Balkaran
author_sort Juan Wisnivesky
collection DOAJ
description Objective To evaluate the burden of asthma in five European countries (5EU; France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom [UK]).Design A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted based on the data from the 2018 National Health and Wellness Survey. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity and activity impairment, and healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) were compared between different groups: asthma versus non-asthma, mild/moderate/severe asthma versus non-asthma and moderate/severe asthma versus mild asthma.Settings Internet-based survey across Western Europe.Participants Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with self-reported physician diagnosis of asthma and experienced asthma symptoms in the past 12 months.Outcome measures Socio-demographic characteristics, asthma-related outcomes, HRQoL and productivity, HCRU and prevalence of asthma.Results The prevalence of asthma in the 5EU was 6.7% (95% CI: 6.5% to 6.9%), with the UK reporting the highest rates (10.4%; 95% CI: 9.9% to 10.9%). About 52.0% of the respondents had mild asthma, 27.9% had moderate and 20.1% had severe asthma. The asthma group reported significantly poorer HRQoL, higher rates of overall work productivity impairment and activity impairment, and a greater number of visits to emergency room, healthcare provider and hospitalisations versus the non-asthma group (all p<0.001). Similar trend was observed for all outcomes among respondents with moderate or severe versus mild asthma.Conclusion Asthma prevalence and burden are still high in Western Europe, indicating the need for effective interventions that could lead to improved outcomes.
format Article
id doaj-art-ef4926098c9d43e198bb0b4b569e7d0d
institution DOAJ
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-ef4926098c9d43e198bb0b4b569e7d0d2025-08-20T03:08:56ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-05-0115510.1136/bmjopen-2024-085175Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional studyJuan Wisnivesky0Asif H. Khan1Imène Gouia2Juby Jacob-Nara3Siddhesh Kamat4Dena Jaffe5deMauri Mackie6Bridget L. Balkaran7Division of General Internal Medicine and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USASanofi, Morristown, New Jersey, USASanofi, Chilly-Mazarin, FranceSanofi, Morristown, New Jersey, USARegeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USAOracle Life Sciences, North Kansas City, Missouri, USAOracle Life Sciences, North Kansas City, Missouri, USAOracle Life Sciences, North Kansas City, Missouri, USAObjective To evaluate the burden of asthma in five European countries (5EU; France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom [UK]).Design A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted based on the data from the 2018 National Health and Wellness Survey. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity and activity impairment, and healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) were compared between different groups: asthma versus non-asthma, mild/moderate/severe asthma versus non-asthma and moderate/severe asthma versus mild asthma.Settings Internet-based survey across Western Europe.Participants Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with self-reported physician diagnosis of asthma and experienced asthma symptoms in the past 12 months.Outcome measures Socio-demographic characteristics, asthma-related outcomes, HRQoL and productivity, HCRU and prevalence of asthma.Results The prevalence of asthma in the 5EU was 6.7% (95% CI: 6.5% to 6.9%), with the UK reporting the highest rates (10.4%; 95% CI: 9.9% to 10.9%). About 52.0% of the respondents had mild asthma, 27.9% had moderate and 20.1% had severe asthma. The asthma group reported significantly poorer HRQoL, higher rates of overall work productivity impairment and activity impairment, and a greater number of visits to emergency room, healthcare provider and hospitalisations versus the non-asthma group (all p<0.001). Similar trend was observed for all outcomes among respondents with moderate or severe versus mild asthma.Conclusion Asthma prevalence and burden are still high in Western Europe, indicating the need for effective interventions that could lead to improved outcomes.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e085175.full
spellingShingle Juan Wisnivesky
Asif H. Khan
Imène Gouia
Juby Jacob-Nara
Siddhesh Kamat
Dena Jaffe
deMauri Mackie
Bridget L. Balkaran
Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional study
BMJ Open
title Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional study
title_full Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional study
title_short Prevalence and burden of asthma in five European countries: a retrospective cross-sectional study
title_sort prevalence and burden of asthma in five european countries a retrospective cross sectional study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e085175.full
work_keys_str_mv AT juanwisnivesky prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT asifhkhan prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT imenegouia prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT jubyjacobnara prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT siddheshkamat prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT denajaffe prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT demaurimackie prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT bridgetlbalkaran prevalenceandburdenofasthmainfiveeuropeancountriesaretrospectivecrosssectionalstudy