Sharifi Laleh, Dashti Raheleh, Pourpak Zahra, Fazlollahi Mohammad Reza, Movahedi Masoud, Chavoshzadeh Zahra, Soheili Habib, Bokaie Saied, Kazemnejad Anoushiravan, Moin Mostafa
Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Uro-Oncology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Iran J Public Health. 2018 Feb;47(2):256-263.
Asthma is the first cause of children hospitalization and need for emergency and impose high economic burden on the families and governments. We aimed to investigate the economic burden of pediatric asthma and its contribution to family health budget in Iran.
Overall, 283 pediatric asthmatic patients, who referred to two tertiary pediatric referral centers in Tehran capital of Iran, included from 2010-2012. Direct and indirect asthma-related costs were recorded during one-year period. Data were statistically analyzed for finding association between the costs and factors that affect this cost (demographic variables, tobacco smoke exposure, control status of asthma and asthma concomitant diseases).
Ninety-two (32.5%) females and 191(67.5%) males with the age range of 1-16 yr old were included. We found the annual total pediatrics asthma related costs were 367.97±23.06 USD. The highest cost belonged to the medications (69%) and the lowest one to the emergency (2%). We noticed a significant increasing in boys' total costs (=0.011), and 7-11 yr old age group (=0.018). In addition, we found significant association between total asthma costs and asthma control status (=0.011).
The presence of an asthmatic child can consume nearly half of the health budget of a family. Our results emphasis on improving asthma management programs, which leads to successful control status of the disease and reduction in economic burden of pediatric asthma.
哮喘是儿童住院及急诊的首要原因，给家庭和政府带来了沉重的经济负担。我们旨在调查伊朗儿童哮喘的经济负担及其对家庭健康预算的影响。
2010年至2012年期间，纳入了转诊至伊朗首都德黑兰两家三级儿科转诊中心的283例儿童哮喘患者。记录了一年期间与哮喘相关的直接和间接费用。对数据进行统计分析，以找出费用与影响该费用的因素（人口统计学变量、接触烟草烟雾、哮喘控制状况和哮喘伴发疾病）之间的关联。
纳入了年龄在1至16岁之间的92名（32.5%）女性和191名（67.5%）男性。我们发现每年与儿科哮喘相关的总费用为367.97±23.06美元。费用最高的是药物（69%），最低的是急诊（2%）。我们注意到男孩的总费用（=0.011）和7至11岁年龄组（=0.018）有显著增加。此外，我们发现哮喘总费用与哮喘控制状况之间存在显著关联（=0.011）。
哮喘儿童的存在可能消耗家庭近一半的健康预算。我们的结果强调改善哮喘管理项目，这将导致疾病的成功控制并减轻儿童哮喘的经济负担。
