Quality of Life in Asthmatic Outpatients

Abstract

Asthma patients incur a great cost in terms of loss of quality of life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relative contribution and relationship of several patient- and disease-related factors, measured by several variables, to the quality of life in adults with asthma. Two hundred and ten asthmatic outpatients over 18 years old, registered in a Family Health Unit, were randomly selected to complete the Asthma Quality of Life (AQLQ) and Short Form Generic questionnaires (SF-36), respectively. Single and multiple linear regression models were developed to explain the variability of the summary scores of AQLQ and Physical and Mental Health SF-36. As potential predictors, the following independent variables were used: gender, age, number of comorbidities, asthma severity following the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria, asthma control (measured by ACQ questionnaire), %FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in the first second) and, for the first time, Graffar Score to assess socioeconomical features. The Graffar Score is an index that divides the population in 5 socioeconomic layers. We report the best Adjusted R Square of these models published in the literature, ranging from 0.40 to 0.76. Women showed poorer quality of life than men. The best predictor of AQLQ was ACQ, followed by Asthma Severity, Gender and %FEV1. The best predictors of Physical and Mental Health SF-36 were, by decreasing importance, ACQ, number of comorbidities, Gender and Graffar Score. We note that the variable number of comorbidities was included in both SF-36 models, but not in AQLQ model. Asthma Severity and %FEV1 did not enter into SF-36 models. We conclude that besides clinical and functional measures, the evaluation process of the overall health status must incorporate quality-of-life measures.

Dating Relationships in College Students with Childhood-Onset Asthma

“…Results revealed that none of the illness characteristic variables were related to the outcome variables. With regard to the demographic variables, gender was significantly correlated with SF- 36 …”

“…The Mental Component Summary Score measures mental health-related quality of life and is comprised of vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health subscales. The SF-36 has been used in previous research as a measurement of quality of life in individuals with asthma (36)(37)(38). The current study used a standard 4-week recall period.…”

Validation of the AQLQ12+ among adolescents and adults with persistent asthma

“…Using hierarchical models that controlled for patient age, gender, and length of time enrolled in the study, they demonstrated that being Hispanic or black, having less self-efficacy, having depressive symptoms, expecting a cure, requiring methylxanthines, and having difficulty accessing care were significant (P \ 0.05) predictors of worsening AQLQ scores. In cross-sectional analyses, Almada Lobo and colleagues [7] reported that men had higher asthma-specific QOL, as measured by the AQLQ, relative to women. Apter and colleagues [8] did not find a significant association between patient race/ethnicity and AQLQ scores in adult patients with moderate to severe asthma, but they reported that frequent nighttime awakenings due to asthma were a significant predictor for lower AQLQ scores (P \ 0.05).…”

Prevalence, severity and risk factors of allergic disorders among people in south India

“…It thus has a huge socioeconomic impact and can adversely influence psychological wellbeing and quality of life. 4,9,10 Presence of one allergic disorder has been found to increase the risk of other allergic disorders affecting different organ systems. 11,12 These implications of allergic disorders can be minimized if strategies are planned for its early identification followed by appropriate interventions.…”