Ghana - World Health Survey 2003, Wave 0

This question serves to identify individuals with a diagnosed case of asthma (sometimes called an allergic respiratory disease). Asthma is a condition that affects the airways (bronchi/bronchioles) – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. In asthma, the airways of the lungs become either narrowed or completely blocked, impeding normal breathing. This obstruction of the lungs is reversible, either spontaneously or with medication. Asthma can be very different from one person to another and from one episode (attack) to another. For some, asthma causes only mild symptoms once in a
while. For others, every day can be a struggle to breathe. Some asthma attacks last only a few minutes while others go on for days. Severity also varies, with some asthma attacks being only mild while others can quickly become life threatening.
Because of the chronic (or long-term) nature of the condition, the respondent is given an open time frame for having received the diagnosis. Probe if the respondent is unsure whether they have ever been afflicted with the condition. Record as response "yes" if they recall ever having been told by a health care provider of having asthma, or of ever having had respiratory problems which they were later told by a qualified health care provider as being asthmatic attacks.