Prevalence of bronchial asthma and association with environmental tobacco smoke exposure in adolescent school children in Chandigarh, North India

Prevalence of asthma and its association with environmental tobacco smoke ( ETS) exposure were examined among adolescent schoolchildren in Chandigarh, India. Using a previously standardized questionnaire, data from 9090 studen ts in the 9- to 20-year age range were analyzed. There were 4367 (48%) boys , in whom the observed prevalence of asthma was 2.6%. Among 4723 (52%) girl s, asthma was present in 90 (1.9%) students. Presence of one or more respir atory symptoms was reported by 31% students. More students with asthma had either parents or other family members smoking at home as compared to nonas thmatics (41% vs. 28%, p<0.0001). The odds ratio for being asthmatic for pa tients exposed to ETS compared to those not exposed to ETS was 1.78 (95% co nfidence interval 1.33-2.31). ETS was also positively associated with preva lence of all the respiratory symptoms, with odds ratios varying between 1.6 and 2.25.