A national survey of asthma prevalence, severity, and treatment

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, severity, risk factors, and treatment patterns of pediatric Asthma in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using national database records of 50 Saudi children aged 2-17 years with a documented diagnosis of Asthma. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, environmental exposures, clinical features, and medication use were collected. Results: The majority of children (60%) were diagnosed before the age of 4 years, and most had asthma for 1-5 years (74%). Wheezing was highly prevalent, with 78% ever experiencing episodes and 95% reporting attacks during the past 12 months. Nearly half of the children had sleep disturbances (48.6%) and speech restriction (51.4%) due to severe wheezing. Environmental exposures such as secondhand smoke, pets, mold, and cock roaches were reported but showed no significant association with asthma occurrence (p > 0.05). However, early age at diagnosis was significantly associated with persistence of asthma (p-value = 0.010). Inhalers were the most frequently used medications (42%), though 16% of children remained untreated despite having symptoms. Conclusion: Childhood asthma remains a substantial health burden in Saudi Arabia. Early diagnosis was strongly linked to persistent disease, while environmental risk factors were not significant predictors in this sample. The findings highlighted the need for improved awareness, early screening, and optimized management strategies to reduce morbidity and enhance the quality of life among affected children.