The Cost and Prevalence of Asthma in Dubai

Article 2 Purpose/Aims/Objectives- The research was based on the lack of evidence for adult asthma population distribution in the UAE. Summary- Women reported more asthma symptoms, when compared to their male counterparts (11.8% and 8.6%, respectively), and 12.1% participants met the ECRHS asthma definition, with 9.8% of them aged between 20-44 years. Article 2 Purpose/Aims/Objectives- The research was based on the lack of evidence for adult asthma population distribution in

Running head: ASTHMA
What is the cost and prevalence of asthma in Arab countries?
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Article 1
1. Purpose/Aims/Objectives- The article was based on the significant economic burden and
impact of asthma on quality of life. The aim of the study was to assess the cost of asthma in
Dubai in United Arab Emirates.
2. Summary- The total direct asthma cost was around 88 million Dirhams and price on
medication and ER visits characterised 20% and 16% of the direct price, respectively. 50%
asthmatic children also reported absenteeism from school.
Key Annotation Information
1 Citation Mahboub, B. H., Safarini, B.,
AbdulAziz, M., & Mustafa, G.
(2013). Cost of Asthma in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
(UAE). J Pulmon Resp
Med, 3(2).
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-
105X.1000146
2 Introduction Asthma is a chronic respiratory
condition that imposes
substantial financial burden on
both healthcare system, as well
as patients. There is lack of
evidence about asthma costs in
UAE.
3 Aims and research methods To determine prevalence and
costs, facts were obtained from
Dubai Statistic Center 2009
census. Profiles of asthma

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patients were obtained from
Reality for the Gulf and Near
East (AIRGNE) and Asthma
Insights study, and drug costs
were procured from Dubai
Health Authority (DHA)
purchase department.
4 Scope Asthma patients aged 5 years
or more were analysed.
5 Usefulness to topic The findings highlighted the
major economic pressure
associated with asthma (88
million Dirhams) and also
highlighted that out-patient
visits were associated with
around 37% of this cost (AED
32,217,143).
6 Limitations Heterogenous Arab population
and individual judgment was
used for estimation of cost and
prevalence thereby decreasing
reliability of the findings.
7 Conclusion Asthma expenditure is a
significant liability on
healthcare system.
8 Reflection The article helped me identify
the cost of asthma in Dubai and

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its occurrence in the Arab
population.
Article 2
1. Purpose/Aims/Objectives- The research was based on the lack of evidence for adult asthma
population distribution in the UAE. The aim of the research was to evaluate the prevalence of
asthma in UAE general population.
2. Summary- Women reported more asthma symptoms, when compared to their male
counterparts (11.8% and 8.6%, respectively), and 12.1% participants met the ECRHS asthma
definition, with 9.8% of them aged between 20-44 years.
Key Annotation Information
1 Citation Mahboub, B. H., Al-Hammadi,
S., Rafique, M., Sulaiman, N.,
Pawankar, R., Al Redha, A. I.,
& Mehta, A. C. (2012).
Population prevalence of
asthma and its determinants
based on European Community
Respiratory Health Survey in
the United Arab
Emirates. BMC pulmonary
medicine, 12(1), 4.
doi:10.1186/1471-2466-12-4
2 Introduction The complex chronic disorder
of asthma manifests at all ages
and there has been an increase
in prevalence all across the

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globe.
3 Aims and research methods To assess asthma prevalence
the European Community
Respiratory Health Survey
(ECRHS) questionnaire was
used on a random population
of 1220 participants with
63.2% males, and 32.9 years
mean age.
4 Scope Prevalence, male: female
prevalence and eligibility for
the criterion.
5 Usefulness to topic The findings highlighted
greater presence of asthma
amid women and also
identified the proportion of
participants who met the
asthma screening criteria. The
results also suggested that the
reported first asthma attack
occurred more recurrently
during adolescence and
childhood, with an increased
incidence in males after 20
years.
6 Limitations Absence of proper census in
UAE, lack of random digit

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sampling procedure and large
number of migrants in the
population decreased
generalizability of the findings.
7 Conclusion Asthma is a common
respiratory disorder in the
UAE, however, there are no
significant gender differences
in the symptoms.
8 Reflection The article helped me
comprehend the occurrence of
asthma in UAE and also
increased my awareness about
determinants of the chronic
disorder.
Article 3
1. Purpose/Aims/Objectives- The research was based on premise that COPD and bronchial
asthma are global health problems and there is lack of qualitative and quantitative research in
Arab nations. The aim of the research was to evaluate the research output generated from
Arab nations, related to COPD and asthma.
2. Summary- Amid Arab nations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt had a rank of 43 and 39,
respectively. There were around 1304 documents on asthma and COPD from the Arab
countries and these represented around 0.8% of the global output.
Key Annotation Information
1 Citation Sweileh, W. M., Al-Jabi, S.
W., Sa’ed, H. Z., & Sawalha,

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A. F. (2014). Bronchial asthma
and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease: research
activity in Arab
countries. Multidisciplinary
respiratory medicine, 9(1), 38.
doi:10.1186/2049-6958-9-38
2 Introduction The worldwide burden of
asthma is increasing and it is
anticipated that an estimated
500 million individuals suffer
from COPD and asthma.
3 Aims and research methods To explore the research output
of COPD and asthma from
Arab nations, reviews and
original scientific publications
from 22 nations were screened
with the use of particular key
words and search terms in the
SCOPUS electronic database,
following an evaluation of their
research productivity.
4 Scope Total number of research
output, ranking of the nations,
names of journals were the
articles were commonly
published

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5 Usefulness to topic The findings helped in
recognising the prominent
journals and the nations where
maximum work was being
done about the chronic
disorders
6 Limitations Exclusion of articles that had
not been indexed in Scopus
and variations in key words
might have excluded some
articles.
7 Conclusion There is comparatively low
research productivity in Arab
nations in the domain of COPD
and asthma.
8 Reflection I was able to identify the lack
of research in these nations on
the phenomenon.

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References
Mahboub, B. H., Al-Hammadi, S., Rafique, M., Sulaiman, N., Pawankar, R., Al Redha, A. I., &
Mehta, A. C. (2012). Population prevalence of asthma and its determinants based on
European Community Respiratory Health Survey in the United Arab Emirates. BMC
pulmonary medicine, 12(1), 4. doi:10.1186/1471-2466-12-4
Mahboub, B. H., Safarini, B., AbdulAziz, M., & Mustafa, G. (2013). Cost of Asthma in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates (UAE). J Pulmon Resp Med, 3(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-
105X.1000146
Sweileh, W. M., Al-Jabi, S. W., Sa’ed, H. Z., & Sawalha, A. F. (2014). Bronchial asthma and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease: research activity in Arab countries. Multidisciplinary
respiratory medicine, 9(1), 38. doi:10.1186/2049-6958-9-38