Risk Factors and Treatment Types for Asthma Severity Among Adult Patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors and treatment types for asthma severity among adult patients by applying a retrospective study design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The symptoms of asthma and corresponding medication prescription were addressed by descriptive statistics, and an ordinal logistic regression model was applied to identify the risk factors of asthma severity based on the data obtained from chronic follow-up of 422 adult asthma patients from September 11, 2012, to July 8, 2016, at the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital (UOGTH). RESULTS: From 422 study units, the more commonly presenting asthma symptoms were coughing and wheezing expressed by 52.13% and 50.9%, respectively. For the treatment type given to the patients, oxygen and prednisolone were highly distributed drugs to the patients in chronic illness, medication and follow-up clinic of the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital (UOGTH) which were expressed by 73.5% and 35.5%, respectively. The proportional odd logit model was used to analyse asthma severity in patients; patients who were female (OR=1.68), a rural resident (OR=1.56), regular physical exercise (OR=2.39), allergen to pet (OR=3.17), had asthma in childhood (OR=2.27), had a family history (OR=1.89), and had depression (OR=2.31) were more likely to increase asthma severity than others, and patients who were in case with regular cooker, dry season was less likely to increase asthma severity. CONCLUSION: Generally, the study presented the most common asthma symptoms and treatment types correspondingly. The study also showed that demographic, environmental, genetic, and health-related factors have a significant effect on asthma severity.