Prevalence of behavioral problems among 6-to-14-year children with asthma and without asthma

Background Asthma and psychological-behavioral problems co-occur more frequently than would be expected based on chance. Several previous studies have shown that the association between childhood asthma and behavioral problems was unclear. Methods Three hundred and thirty seven 6-to-14-year children with asthma in a case group and 674 children without asthma in a control group, matched with age and sex in 1:2, was investigated from Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital. We obtained socio-demographic data on children and health-seeking caregivers. The Rutter’s Behaviour Scale for Children (Parents’ Scale) (RBSC-PS) was used to assess children’ behavioral problems. The quantitative relationship between childhood asthma and behavioral problems was evaluated with a conditional logistic regression. Results The overall prevalence of behavioral problems in the case group and the control group were 37.39% and 18.69% respectively, and the prevalence of type A, M, and N behavioral problems in the case group were all higher than those in the control group respectively (A:14.54% vs 10.68%; M: 6.53% vs 4.15%; N: 16.32% vs 3.86%). The results of multiple conditional logistic regression analysis showed that a statistically significant association was found between childhood asthma and behavior problems (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.46; 95% confidence interval (95%CI):1.16 ~ 1.83); The regression analysis for different types of behavioral problems showed that type A behavioral problem (aOR = 1.25;95%CI:0.91 ~ 1.71) or type M (aOR = 1.20; 95%CI:0.77, 1.88) were not associated with childhood asthma but type N behavioral problem had a statistically significant association with childhood asthma(aOR = 1.90;95%CI:1.40 ~ 2.57). Conclusion The type N behavioral problem was associated with childhood asthma, highlighting the importance of behavioral problem prevention for children with asthma in pediatric asthma clinics.