An investigation into the effect of cigarette smoking on the severity and control of asthma in adults in Sulaimani City

Resumen

Abstract: Background and objective: As a chroniclung disease, asthma can result in inflammation and narrowingof the airways, leading to recurrent episodes ofcoughing, wheezing, breath shortness, and chest tightness.Development of asthma can be affected by geneticand environmental factors of which smoking is a wellknownrisk factor. The present study was aimed at figuringout the association between cigarette smoking andasthma severity and control in asthmatic patients.Patients and methods: Within a prospective cohortstudy conducted in Sulaimani City of Iraqi Kurdistan, 130patients with asthma were examined. Data collected wasperformed through a researcher-designed questionnairethat was developed based on GINA 2018 InternationalGuidelines for Asthma. The collected data were analyzedthrough descriptive and inferential statistics usingStatistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.Results: The patients’ mean age was 51.5±18.1 years.Most of the patients (66.9%) were females, and 50.8%were housewives. Also, 69.2% resided urban areas, and53.1% were illiterate. Asthma control was significantlyaffected by the patients’ age, education level, and smokingstatus, but not by occupation or place of residence.Moreover, asthma severity had a significant correlationwith the patients’ age and education level, but it was notsignificantly affected by their smoking status.Conclusion: Asthma is more common among women. Patientswith lower education level and higher age and thosewho smoke have a lower level of asthma control. Asthmaseverity is higher among the illiterate and older adults.