A Comparison of Intelligence Quotient between Primary School-Aged Children with and without Bronchial Asthma

Aims: The aim of this study is to compare the IQ of children with asthma with that of children without.

Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Asthma clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu State and the schools attended by the children with asthma within Enugu metropolis.

Methodology: One hundred and twenty children with asthma aged 5 – 11 years were consecutively recruited at the asthma clinic of UNTH Enugu and their age-, sec and socio-economic class- matched normal classmates were enrolled as controls. The IQ of children with asthma attending asthma clinic of the University of Nigeria teaching hospital (UNTH) Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu State Nigeria was determined using the Draw-A-Person- test. Their IQ was compared with that of the 120 controls.

Results: The mean IQ of the subjects (123.28 ± 21.45) was similar to that of the controls (118.41 ± 19.87; p = .07). Mean DAPQ was found to decline with increasing age in both the subjects and controls (r = -0.377, p < .001) and controls (r = -0.492, p < .001).

Conclusion: The intelligence quotient of primary school-aged children with asthma does not differ from those of their colleagues without asthma.