Obesity In Children With Asthma Referring to Pediatric Clinics in Hamadan, Iran (2007 and 2018)

Background: Prevalence of obesity and asthma have increased recently, likely due to the transition to a westernized lifestyle and urbanization.Obesity can increase the risk of asthma.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the co-occurrence of asthma and obesity in children referring to pediatric clinics in Hamadan, Iran, in 2007 and 2018.Methods: This is a correlational study with a cross-sectional design that was conducted in 2007 (phase I) and in 2018 (phase II) in Hamadan, Iran.In phase I, participants were 101 children with asthma aged 1-12 were referred to Ekbatan Hospital.In phase II, participants were 100 children with asthma aged 1-16 referred to Besat Hospital.Their information, including age, body mass index (BMI), and family history, was recorded in two phases.Results: Among participants, 61.4% in the first phase and 60% in the second phase were male.The mean age of children in the first and second phases was 4.452.72 and 7.193.47years, respectively.It was found that 31.7% of children in the first phase and 33.3% in the second phase were obese.Although a high BMI is a risk factor for asthma, most children had a normal weight in both phases.Therefore, it can be said that obesity is not related to asthma. Conclusions:The findings do not support the association of obesity with asthma in children.Further studies with a prospective design and a larger sample size are recommended to investigate this relationship more thoroughly.