Table 1 Socio-demographic, disease characteristics, and associations

Age

Mean (SD): 48 (15.44)

< 0.001*

  < 40

30.7%

87

39.4

82

24.9

  > 40

69.3%

134

60.6

247

75.1

Sex

0.777

 Male

36.0%

78

35.3

120

36.5

 Female

64.0%

143

64.7

209

63.5

Ethnicity

0.208

 Chinese

12.4%

24

10.9

44

13.4

 Malay

51.1%

123

55.7

158

48.0

 Indian

36.5%

74

33.5

127

38.6

Marital status

0.058

 Not married

28.9%

59

26.7

65

19.8

 Married

71.1%

162

73.3

264

80.2

Educational attainment

< 0.001*

 No formal education/primary education

33.3%

34

15

149

45.3

 Secondary education

45.8%

112

51

140

42.6

 Tertiary education

20.9%

75

34

40

12.2

Household income

< 0.001*

  < 3000

83.3%

167

75.6

291

88.4

  > 3000

16.7%

54

24.4

38

11.6

Duration of asthma diagnosis (years)

Mean (SD) 20.6 (15.9)

0.005*

  < 20

50.5%

128

57.9

150

45.6

  > 20

49.5%

93

42.1

179

54.4

Use of preventer

0.020*

 No

30.2%

79

35.7

87

26.4

 Yes

69.8%

142

64.3

242

73.6

Family history of asthma

0.004*

 No

37.5%

67

30.3

139

42.2

 Yes

62.5%

154

69.7

190

57.8

Asthma control (based on ACQ)

0.098

 Uncontrolled

50.9%

103

46.6

177

53.8

Controlled

49.1%

118

53.4

152

46.2

Self-rated asthma control

0.455

 Uncontrolled

12.7%

31

14.0

39

11.9

 Controlled

87.3%

190

86.0

290

88.1

Education on the asthma action plan

0.001*

 No

70.9%

174

78.7

216

65.7

 Yes (n = 160)

29.1%

47

21.3

113

34.3

 -Verbal

22%

19

3.5

102

18.5

 -Written

7.1%

28

5.1

11

2

Other medical problems

0.027*

 No

54.9%

134

60.6

168

51.1

 Yes

45.1%

87

39.4

161

48.9

Body mass index (kg/m²)

Mean (SD) = 26.8 (6.4)

0.071

 Underweight (< 18.5)

4.7

11

5.0

15

4.6

 Normal weight (18.5–22.9)

26

49

22.2

94

28.6

 Overweight (23–27.4)

30

60

27.1

105

31.9

 Obese (>  27.5)

39.3

101

45.7

115

35.0