Vol. 8, Issue 3, Part B (2025)

Background: Pediatric asthma is a complex, noncommunicable disease that is a leading area of research in the field of Public Health because it has grown into a global public health crisis with different levels of prevalence in different geographic areas. There are no data available on the epidemiology of pediatric asthma in Iraq, especially in the private healthcare sector in Baghdad. Objective: The overall objective of this study is to explore the epidemiology of pediatric asthma in private clinics in Baghdad from 2019 to 2023 and describe the associated risk factors. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study design was utilized to analyze the medical records of 15 different private pediatric clinics in Baghdad. The medical records analyzed include children aged 2-16 years who were diagnosed with asthma (N=2847). Data was analyzed to understand the demographics, seasonal variation, asthma classification, and association with comorbidities of the children with asthma. Results: The overall prevalence of pediatric asthma was 8.4% among the children regularly attending the clinics for medical care. The majority of children (58.3%) were male. The peak of pediatric asthma occurred among children between 6-10 years old (42.1%) and environmental factors, including dust (78.2%) and paternal smoking (45.6%), were significantly associated with the onset of asthma. Spring (34.2%) and autumn (28.7%) were the seasons with the highest report of asthma. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of pediatric asthma in the private clinics in Baghdad mirrors prevalence rates seen globally with regional variations. The findings highlight that environmental factors contribute to the onset of asthma in children, demonstrating the need for preventive strategies for cancer safety and ongoing management of air quality.