OBJECTIVE: Asthma is considered as a typical psychosomatic disease. This study aimed to investigate the temperament of asthmatic children and risk factors for asthma. METHODS: Temperamental type and dimensionality were investigated by Carry Temperament Scale in 106 children with asthma. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the risk factors for the development of asthma. One hundred and six age and sex-matched normal children served as controls. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the adaptability, mood value and attention persistence of temperament between asthmatic patients and normal controls. Higher proportion of inter-high difficult temperamental type (17.0% vs 5.7%) and lower proportion of easy temperamental type (16.0% vs 29.2%) were found in children with asthma when compared with controls (P< 0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency of cold between 3 and 7 years old, allergic history, idiosyncratic physique, parental history of asthma, house decoration and mood value and attention persistence of temperament were risk factors for the development of asthma. CONCLUSIONS: There were differences in the temperamental type and dimensionality between asthmatic children and normal controls. Children with inter-high difficult temperament and suffered from the above risk factors showed a higher risk for developing asthma.