FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ASTHMA CONTROL IN CHILDREN OLDER THAN 5 YEARS

Objectives: To investigate asthma characteristics, control levels, and associated factors among children over 5 years old at Hue University Hospital, Hue City. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 59 children aged 5-16 years who were diagnosed with asthma, had received maintenance therapy for at least one month, and were followed up at the Department of General Pediatrics, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, from 11/2024 to 11/2025. Results: Most children had intermittent or mild persistent asthma (Step 1: 50.7%; Step 2: 33.9%; Step 3: 13.7%; Step 4: 1.7%). The rate of well-controlled asthma was low, accounting for only 20.4%. The proportions of partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma were 50.8% and 28.8%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with uncontrolled asthma (p < 0.05) included, lack of regular follow-up visits (OR = 23.0), non-adherence to treatment (OR = 10.73), personal history of allergic diseases (OR = 8.73), and disease duration ≥ 12 months (OR = 6.17). Conclusion: The rate of well-controlled asthma in children remains low. Factors such as  poor treatment adherence, personal history of allergic diseases, lack of regular follow-up visits and prolonged disease duration, are associated with an increased risk of uncontrolled asthma in children older than 5 years.