Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the psychological stress and its association with bronchial asthma in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the mechanisms by which stress affects asthma. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 733 adults with asthma aged ≥18 years and was carried out between October 2022 and May 2023 in Saudi Arabia. Data were obtained using an online questionnaire assessing asthma severity and stress levels. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha indicated that the reliability of the stress scale was 0.728 and the reliability of the asthma control tool was 0.819. Of the participants, 52% were women and 48% were men, with 48.7% aged 18-26 years. Asthma severity was classified as low (20.3%) or high (54.6%) and 85.4% of the respondents reported elevated stress levels. A statistically significant correlation was noted between asthma control and sterss (r= -0.22, p<0.05), indicating that higher stress levels hinder the management of asthma. CONCLUSION: There is a strong association between psychological stress and exacerbation of bronchial asthma. Stress impacts immune responses, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of asthma. Therefore, effective stress management is essential in improving the control of asthma and the alleviation of its symptoms.