Keywords
Asthma
Allergic rhinitis
Medical students
How to Cite
Abstract
OBJETIVE: To estimate the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis and to identify factors related to treatment among medical students at the University of Panama.
METHODS: This was an observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study with a follow-up phase to assess asthma and allergic rhinitis control between August and December 2024. Validated diagnostic questionnaires for asthma and rhinitis were administered digitally. Participants with a prior medical diagnosis and/or positive questionnaires completed the ACT and RCAT scales to evaluate clinical control. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and McDonald's omega coefficient were used for internal reliability.
RESULTS: 292 valid surveys were analyzed (62.7% women; mean age 21.2 years). The prevalence of asthma was 9.6% and of rhinitis 41.8%. Of the patients with asthma, 85.7% had concomitant rhinitis (p < 0.001). Eighty percent of asthma cases were well controlled clinically, compared to 36.6% of those with rhinitis. Less than 25% of rhinitis cases received medical follow-up, and 85.2% self-medicated.
CONCLUSION: The coexistence of asthma and rhinitis was frequent among medical students, with good asthma control predominating over poor rhinitis control.
KEYWORDS: Prevalence; Asthma; Allergic rhinitis; Medical students.
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