Prevalence of Asthma Among Filipino Adults Based on the National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHeS)

Results: The overall prevalence of asthma based on wheezing for the past 12 months was 8.7% (SE 0.4%). Males had a higher prevalence of wheezing for the past 12 months at 9.4% (SE 0.5%) compared to females at 8.2% (SE 0.5%). The overall prevalence of asthma based on wheezing at any time was 14.3% (SE 0.5%). Males had a higher prevalence of wheezing at any time of 14.8% (SE 0.7%) compared to females at 13.8% (SE 0.6%). The prevalence of adult asthma in the rural area was slightly higher than in the urban area (15.3% vs. 13.3%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of adult asthma in the Philippines based on the second NNHeS is 8.7%. This figure is lower than previous reported local prevalence data. The prevalence of adult asthma in the rural and urban setting is almost similar. Abstract