Effect of diet on the respiratory health of children in rural area of Delhi-NCR

• Main Authors: Raj Kumar, Kamal Singh, Nitesh Gupta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
• Subjects: Asthma; children; diet
• Online Access: http://www.ijaai.in/article.asp?issn=0972-6691;year=2016;volume=30;issue=2;spage=71;epage=75;aulast=Kumar

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. For asthma and allergic disorders, diet has been recently established as a potential risk factor. Thus, a change in dietary habit may be postulated, as one of the unknown factors responsible for the rise in prevalence of asthma among children in rural India. Objectives: To assess the association of diet with asthma in Indian rural population. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study of children aged <18 years residing in Khanpur Jupti village, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, during 2011-2015. A questionnaire-based survey was carried out for respiratory illness-related symptoms. It was developed on the basis of American Thoracic Society (ATS), British Medical Research Council, and the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in childhood questionnaires to detect the presence of symptoms suggestive of asthma. The age and sex, birth order, duration of breastfeeding, educational status, food habits (vegetarian and nonvegetarian), and major chronic chest symptoms (cough, sputum, shortness of breath, and wheezing) were included in the questionnaire-based survey. The diagnosis of asthma was made by the physician examining the children, based on the guidelines of ATS. Results: Of 187 houses which were surveyed, there were a total of 607 children (males n = 339 [55.84%] and females n = 268 [44.16%]). 17.1% (n = 104; males n = 59 [56.73%]) children were diagnosed as asthma. In the evaluation of dietary habits, children diagnosed with asthma had significantly higher consumption of nonvegetarian food (43.27% vs. 28.23; P < 0.05). However, age and gender distribution, educational status, birth order, and duration of breastfeeding did not show a significant difference between children diagnosed with asthma and without asthma. Conclusion: The study concluded that increased risk of asthma was associated with higher consumption of nonvegetarian food. Furthermore, breastfeeding did not have any protective effect on asthma.