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Asthma Control in Oman: National Results within the Asthma Insights and Reality in the Gulf and the Near East (AIRGNE) Study.

OBJECTIVES
The Asthma Insights and Reality (AIR) study in the Gulf and Near East (one of a worldwide series of surveys conducted in adults and children to assess asthma control) was conducted in Oman to assess how closely asthma control meets international guidelines recommendations.


METHODS
From January 2007 to March 2008, asthmatics receiving treatment or currently suffering from asthma symptoms were interviewed among nationals randomly surveyed from the most populated urban areas in Oman (Muscat, Sohar and Nizwa). The standard AIR questionnaire was used to assess symptom severity, health care utilisation, limitation of activity and medication use.


RESULTS
From 201 asthmatic participants, 21% were under 16 years and 43% were female. Tobacco use was low in our asthmatics. Disparity in asthma perception was wide in Oman; while 57% of asthmatics perceived their asthma as well or completely controlled, actually 54% had poorly or not well controlled asthma. All recommendations for asthma control by the Global Initiative for Asthma were largely unmet, especially in child asthmatics, with 44% reporting night awakenings due to asthma during the previous 4 weeks and 47% exercise-induced asthma in the previous 12 months. Overall, 32.6% of children and 34.8% of adults reported absence due to asthma from school/work during the previous year. Use of preventive inhaled corticosteroids was only 5.0%, one of the lowest even within the AIR Gulf and Near East study, producing an unacceptable ratio ICS/SABA (inhaled corticosteroid/short acting beta-agonist) of 0.054 in Omani asthmatics.


CONCLUSION
Asthma control in Oman falls far below the goals of current international guidelines therefore corrective strategies are needed.