Venero FSJ, Suárez MR, Mora FEC, García GG, Del Valle II, Gómez ML, Britton J, Fogarty AW

Language: Spanish
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ABSTRACT

Introduction: prevalence of recurrent wheezing among Cuban infants is not known.
Objective: Identify the magnitude and factors associated to recurrent wheezing in infants.
Method: across-sectional epidemiological study was conducted of a sample of 1 956 children aged 12-15 months from four Havana municipalities randomly selected for inclusion in the research. A questionnaire validated internationally and used in the national territory (ISAAC) was applied to collect data about the first year of life. Recurrent wheezing was defined by the presence of three or more episodes.
Results: prevalence of recurrent wheezing was 20%. The most important risk factors were a family history of asthma OR 1.89 (CI 95%:1.09-3.27), suspected allergy to insect bites OR 1.75 (CI 95%: 1.09-2.80), a history of respiratory distress at birth OR 1.74 (CI 95%: 1.36-2.22) and the use of paracetamol including Kogrip OR 1.40 (CI 95%: 1.14-1.73). Risk for recurrent wheezing showed significant differences between the four municipalities after adjustment for confounding factors.
Conclusions: recurrent wheezing was identified as a health problem in Havana. Modifiable risk factors for recurrent wheezing were detected in the study sample. Risk differences were found between the municipalities. These facts should be considered when planning future interventions.