Prevalence of Asthma amongst Schoolchildren in Jordan and Staff Readiness to Help

• Published in: Healthcare (Basel) 2023-01, Vol.11 (2), p.183
• Main Authors: Nour, Arwa, Alsayed, Ahmad R, Basheti, Iman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asthma; children; Chronic illnesses; Developing countries; Education; First aid; Jordan; Knowledge; LDCs; Medical records; Medical research; Mortality; prevalence; Private schools; Public schools; Quality of life; Questionnaires; school; Statistical analysis; Students
• ISSN: 2227-9032; 2227-9032
• DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11020183

Assessing asthma prevalence and management in schools is crucial. Improving school policies may reduce asthma morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma among schoolchildren in Amman, Jordan. Second, we evaluated Jordanian school staff on asthma first-aid knowledge and competence. This cross-sectional study was conducted over five months in 2019. The researcher visited primary schools (private and public), and the availability of proper first-aid tools and teachers' knowledge were assessed. The participated schools included ten public schools with 100 participating teachers and ten private schools with 100 participating teachers. Less than 25% of all schools reported having an asthma first-aid kit, and 65% reported having medical reports for chronic diseases, including asthma. The mean number of students in the schools involved in the study was 455.31 ± 212.92, out of whom 10.38 ± 7.26 were asthmatic children. The prevalence of asthma was 2.38% among schoolchildren in Amman, Jordan. Schools were found to have insufficient medical reports for the asthma children, in addition to a lack of first aid kits. The asthma knowledge of teachers in schools was weak. There is a need for educators to develop more awareness. These findings shed light on important concerns that require immediate attention.