Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon.
INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Santé Publique, Epidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie - Liban, Beirut, Lebanon;
Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2021 Jan 2;49(1):40-49. doi: 10.15586/aei.v49i1.25. eCollection 2021.
The Asthma Risk Factor Scale (ARFS) is used to screen for asthma in Lebanese preschool children (aged 3-16 years). The study objective was to describe factors associated with asthma, confirm ARFS score validity among Lebanese preschool children, and develop a risk score for asthma diagnosis in this age group (Pre-School Asthma Risk Factor Scale [PS-ARFS]).
A cross-sectional study enrolled 515 preschool children (November 2018 and March 2019). The ARFS is a 15-item tool that assesses children's environmental exposure, parental history of asthma, and dietary habits.
The percentage of asthmatic children was 8.2%. Higher odds of asthma in children were associated with living near a prairie sprayed with pesticides (odds ratio [OR] = 2.33), playing outdoors (OR = 2.89), having a heater in the bedroom (OR = 10.73), attending a nursery (OR = 2.91), having a mother who smokes cigarettes (OR = 3.35) or water pipe (OR = 2.46), a sister with a history of seasonal allergy (OR = 6.81), and a parental history (mother and father) of asthma (OR = 6.15 and OR = 9.83, respectively). Higher ARFS scores (OR = 1.144) were associated with higher odds of asthma. Accordingly, the PS-ARFS was created according to the following formula: ARFS score + (playing outdoor × 2.4) + (heating system in the bedroom × 12.9) + (having attended a nursery × 2.5) (area under the curve = 0.908 [0.860-0.957]; P < 0.001); at value: 14.20, Se = 84.3% and Sp = 90.9%.
PS-ARFS is suggested for screening of asthma in preschool children in an epidemiological setting and in the absence of spirometry.
哮喘风险因素量表（ARFS）用于筛查黎巴嫩学龄前儿童（3-16 岁）哮喘。本研究旨在描述与哮喘相关的因素，验证 ARFS 评分在黎巴嫩学龄前儿童中的有效性，并为该年龄段（学前哮喘风险因素量表 [PS-ARFS]）制定哮喘诊断风险评分。
横断面研究纳入了 515 名学龄前儿童（2018 年 11 月和 2019 年 3 月）。ARFS 是一种 15 项工具，用于评估儿童的环境暴露、父母哮喘史和饮食习惯。
哮喘儿童的比例为 8.2%。儿童哮喘的几率更高，与生活在喷洒杀虫剂的草原附近（比值比 [OR] = 2.33）、户外活动（OR = 2.89）、卧室有加热器（OR = 10.73）、上托儿所（OR = 2.91）、母亲吸烟（OR = 3.35）或水烟（OR = 2.46）、有季节性过敏史的姐姐（OR = 6.81）以及父母有哮喘史（母亲和父亲）（OR = 6.15 和 OR = 9.83）相关。更高的 ARFS 评分（OR = 1.144）与哮喘几率更高相关。因此，根据以下公式创建了 PS-ARFS：ARFS 评分+（户外活动×2.4）+（卧室供暖系统×12.9）+（上过托儿所×2.5）（曲线下面积=0.908[0.860-0.957]；P<0.001）；切点值：14.20，Se = 84.3%，Sp = 90.9%。
建议在无肺功能检查的情况下，将 PS-ARFS 用于流行病学环境中筛查学龄前儿童哮喘。
