Research Article
Air Quality and Respiratory Health among Adolescents from the United Arab Emirates
Table 4
Associations between environmental and behavioural factors and respiratory conditions and symptoms among UAE adolescents (
,363).
| Variable | Classification | Chronic bronchitis () | Emphysema () | Asthma () | Wheeze () | Dry cough (,125) | (%)a | (%)a | (%)a | (%)a | (%)a |
| Location of residence | | | | | | | Abu Dhabi city | 29 (2.0) | 4 (0.3) | 244 (16.9) | 185 (13.1) | 531 (38.1) | Al Ain | 21 (1.8) | 4 (0.3) | 131 (11.2) | 146 (12.9) | 391 (34.7) | Western | 10 (3.1) | 1 (0.3) | 47 (12.7) | 38 (11.2) | 124 (34.3) | Ajman | 3 (1.1) | 2 (0.8) | 25 (9.5) | 31 (12.2) | 86 (34.4) | Dubai | 10 (1.8) | 3 (0.5) | 50 (8.9) | 58 (10.7) | 192 (33.4) | Fujairah | 8 (1.5) | 1 (0.2) | 31 (6.0) | 47 (9.3) | 169 (33.7) | RAK | 9 (1.3) | 4 (0.6) | 27 (4.0) | 67 (10.4) | 195 (30.4) | Sharjah | 21 (8.1) | 8 (0.7) | 103 (8.9) | 148 (13.1) | 370 (33.0) | UAQ | 4 (2.7) | 1 (0.7) | 11 (7.5) | 21 (14.8) | 67 (48.2) |
| Reside in proximity to industrial plants/gas stations/construction | | | | | | | No | 66 (1.5) | 11 (0.3) | 480 (10.9) | 436 (10.2) | 1445 (33.7) | Yes | 14 (1.8) | 10 (1.3) | 131 (16.2) | 130 (17.0) | 281 (35.9) |
| Reside in proximity to overhead power lines and/or plants | | | | | | | No | 67 (1.5) | 11 (0.3) | 512 (11.6) | 463 (10.8) | 1450 (33.6) | Yes | 7 (1.3) | 9 (1.6) | 83 (14.6) | 73 (13.5) | 205 (37.4) |
| Exposed to tobacco smoke at home or with friends | | | | | | | Not at all | 51 (1.6) | 13 (0.4) | 364 (11.1) | 309 (9.7) | 995 (31.2) | Occasionally | 31 (2.2) | 7 (0.5) | 187 (12.8) | 210 (15.0) | 548 (38.6) | Daily | 20 (3.0) | 2 (0.3) | 120 (17.7) | 127 (19.7) | 284 (43.3) |
| Residence built prior to 1988 | No | 60 (1.8) | 13 (0.4) | 431 (12.4) | 392 (11.8) | 1148 (34.2) | Yes | 20 (2.1) | 3 (0.3) | 118 (12.2) | 101 (10.9) | 321 (34.4) |
| Residential air conditioning | No | 1 (1.8) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (7.0) | 10 (19.2) | 15 (28.8) | Yes | 89 (1.7) | 21 (0.4) | 646 (12.0) | 587 (11.3) | 1782 (34.2) |
| Residential maintenance (air filter/cleaning) | Yearly | 22 (1.7) | 8 (0.6) | 154 (11.6) | 138 (10.9) | 427 (33.7) | As needed | 54 (1.8) | 10 (0.3) | 372 (11.9) | 342 (11.2) | 1043 (33.9) | Rarely | 4 (1.3) | 2 (0.7) | 47 (15.1) | 39 (13.0) | 113 (37.5) |
| Flooring in the main living area of residence | Wall-to-wall carpet | 16 (1.8) | 3 (0.3) | 98 (10.8) | 94 (10.7) | 298 (34.0) | Ceramic tiles | 57 (1.6) | 10 (0.3) | 435 (12.4) | 390 (11.5) | 1182 (34.5) | Wooden floors | 2 (3.4) | 3 (5.2) | 6 (10.0) | 12 (22.6) | 21 (36.2) | Heavy rugs | 12 (1.6) | 4 (0.5) | 97 (12.6) | 83 (11.4) | 240 (32.5) |
| Cooking method | | | | | | | Electricity | 6 (2.9) | 5 (2.5) | 31 (14.4) | 37 (18.0) | 75 (35.4) | Gas | 79 (1.6) | 16 (0.3) | 603 (11.8) | 543 (11.0) | 1697 (34.2) | Microwave | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 4 (12.9) | 5 (16.1) | 8 (25.8) |
| Residential humidity | | | | | | | No | 62 (1.6) | 12 (0.3) | 450 (11.4) | 412 (10.8) | 1282 (33.4) | Yes | 15 (1.7) | 6 (0.7) | 119 (13.5) | 120 (14.1) | 314 (36.8) |
| Pets in residence | | | | | | | No | 63 (1.5) | 12 (0.3) | 469 (11.2) | 437 (10.8) | 1361 (33.6) | Yes | 24 (2) | 9 (0.7) | 179 (14.4) | 150 (12.7) | 434 (36) |
| Pests (e.g., cockroaches, rodents) present in residence | | | | | | | No | 31 (1.5) | 5 (0.2) | 242 (11.4) | 220 (10.8) | 627 (30.5) | Yes | 15 (1.9) | 7 (0.9) | 111 (13.4) | 108 (13.7) | 305 (38.4) | Sometimes | 33 (1.5) | 7 (0.3) | 259 (11.4) | 238 (10.8) | 792 (35.7) |
| Regular use of pesticides/insecticides at residence | | | | | | | No | 24 (1.7) | 3 (0.2) | 154 (10.9) | 154 (11.4) | 427 (31.1) | Yes | 55 (1.7) | 13 (0.4) | 417 (12.7) | 345 (10.9) | 1133 (35.6) | Sometimes | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 37 (9.7) | 51 (13.7) | 131 (35.3) |
| Exposure to arts/crafts/ceramics/stain | | | | | | | No | 55 (1.3) | 10 (0.2) | 497 (11.9) | 438 (10.9) | 1360 (33.6) | Yes | 26 (2.7) | 9 (0.9) | 123 (12.5) | 132 (13.8) | 351 (36.7) |
| Concerned about air pollution in own neighbourhood | | | | | | | Extreme | 13 (1.5) | 5 (0.6) | 117 (13.1) | 125 (14.6) | 299 (34.9) | Moderate | 18 (1.3) | 7 (0.5) | 161 (11.6) | 155 (11.6) | 492 (36.5) | Slight | 26 (2.0) | 4 (0.3) | 150 (11.4) | 135 (10.6) | 445 (34.8) | Not at all | 27 (1.6) | 6 (0.4) | 203 (12.2) | 159 (10.0) | 506 (31.3) |
| Ever smoked | | | | | | | No | 80 (1.6) | 16 (0.3) | 579 (11.3) | 516 (10.4) | 1667 (33.7) | Yes | 33 (3.3) | 12 (1.2) | 177 (17.1) | 203 (20.7) | 398 (39.8) |
| Currently smoking | | | | | | | No | 80 (1.6) | 15 (0.3) | 583 (11.7) | 544 (11.2) | 1664 (34.3) | Yes | 25 (3.2) | 10 (1.3) | 125 (15.4) | 135 (18.0) | 290 (37.4) |
| Ever used illegal drugs | | | | | | | No | 108 (1.9) | 20 (0.3) | 725 (12.3) | 686 (12.0) | 1996 (34.8) | Yes | 6 (6.9) | 6 (6.8) | 17 (18.1) | 25 (28.4) | 35 (39.8) |
| Purposely smelled gasoline fumes/glue/correctors/car exhaust/burning black ants (no) | | | | | | | No | 84 (2.0) | 23 (0.6) | 525 (12.4) | 462 (11.4) | 1295 (31.6) | Yes | 29 (1.7) | 3 (0.2) | 218 (12.4) | 251 (14.8) | 733 (43.1) |
| Engages in physical activity | | | | | | | No | 8 (3.7) | 4 (1.8) | 28 (12.8) | 17 (8.1) | 64 (31.8) | Yes | 97 (1.7) | 21 (0.4) | 711 (12.1) | 669 (12.3) | 1990 (34.9) |
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Prevalence %; ; ; . Note: may not add up due to missing data.
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