The prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema among school-aged children in Qatar: A Global Asthma Network Study.

This cross-sectional study aims to utilize the Global Asthma Network (GAN) questionnaires to estimate the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema among children in Qatar. The study population was comprised of children ages 6-7 and 13-14 years, along with their parents or guardians. The English and Arabic versions of the GAN questionnaires were used to collect data for this study. A total of 2646 participants were recruited (1210 in the 6-7 years age group and 1436 in the 13-14 years age group), in addition to a total of 3831 parents or guardians. The overall prevalence of diagnosed asthma, lifetime allergic rhinitis, and diagnosed eczema in our study sample were as follows: 34.6%, 30.9%, and 37.4%, respectively. The current study showed an increased prevalence rate of asthma and eczema comparing to previous local estimates. These rates were higher in some cases or comparable in other cases to those found elsewhere. It is recommended that future research focus on studying the various factors contributing to the cases of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema in Qatar. The reporting of this study conforms with the STROBE statement.