• Alexandro Vinicio Cruz Mariño, Philip Cooper, Martha Chico, Natalia Romero-Sandoval, and Alejandro Rodríguez.
• Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, School of Medicine, Quito, Ecuador Universidad Internacional del Ecuador Universidad Internacional del Ecuador School of Medicine Quito Ecuador.
• Colomb Medica. 2024 Apr 1; 55 (2): e2035929e2035929.

BackgroundDifferences in asthma prevalence between urban and rural areas have been observed worldwide. Epidemiological studies in middle- and low-income countries suggest that internal migration processes may partly explain these disparities.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between internal migration and asthma in children living in transitional areas of Ecuador.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using data from a birth cohort of children living in a tropical coastal region in northwestern Ecuador. Asthma indicators included wheezing in the past 12 months, ever wheezing, and asthma diagnosis by a doctor. Internal migration was defined as a change of residence between geographical units: cantonal, parish, and census tract. The relationship between asthma and migration was analyzed using binary logistic regression.ResultsOf 2,404 participants, 1,818 children met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 2.8% experienced cantonal migration, 11.9% parish migration, and 24.6% census tract migration. The prevalence of wheezing in the past 12 months, ever wheezing, and asthma diagnosis by a doctor was 13.1%, 33.3%, and 7%, respectively. Children with a history of cantonal migration were more likely to have experienced wheezing compared to those who did not migrate (OR: 1.56; 95%CI: 0.87-2.79).ConclusionsChanges in residence between smaller or adjacent geographic units appeared not to be associated with asthma prevalence. However, cantonal migration may play a role in respiratory health outcomes.Copyright © 2024 Colombia Medica.

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