Childhood Bronchial Asthma and Associated Risk Factors among Children Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northen India

Background: Bronchial asthma is among the most prevalent chronic respiratory diseases of childhood globally and contributes substantially to recurrent morbidity, school absenteeism, emergency healthcare visits, and impaired quality of life. India contributes approximately 12.9% of global asthma cases, and data from coastal southern India on clinical phenotyping and associated factors remain limited. Objectives: To describe the clinical profile and severity pattern of bronchial asthma among children aged 5–15 years and to identify associated allergic, familial, environmental, and perinatal risk factors. Methods: A hospital-based study was conducted enrolling 290 children aged 5–15 years with bronchial asthma diagnosed by standard clinical criteria. Data on demographics, age at onset, family history, allergic manifestations, birth weight, feeding practices, and triggering factors were collected using a structured proforma. Asthma severity was classified per NAEPP-EPR-3 criteria. Results: Intermittent asthma was the most common severity category (132/290, 45.5%), followed by mild persistent (84/290, 28.9%), moderate persistent (64/290, 22.1%), and severe persistent asthma (10/290, 3.4%). Severe persistent asthma was confined to children aged 10–15 years. Early-onset asthma (≤3 years) was present in 130 (44.8%) children. Family history of asthma was reported in 154 (53.1%) participants. Allergic rhinitis was the commonest associated allergic condition. Seasonal variation (81.4%), upper respiratory tract infection (80.0%), and dust exposure (74.5%) were the leading triggering factors. Conclusion: Childhood bronchial asthma in this hospital-based cohort was predominantly intermittent or mild persistent and was strongly associated with atopic manifestations, positive family history, and environmental triggers. Early identification, caregiver education, and reduction of preventable exposures are essential for reducing asthma-related morbidity among children.