The economic consequences of asthma among adults in Sweden

Jansson, Sven-Arne; Rönmark, Eva; Forsberg, Bertil; Löfgren, Curt; Lindberg, Anne; Lundbäck, Bo

doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2007.06.029

Cited by 47 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…4 This is a challenge, as asthma is a complex disease in terms of both treatment and management and it generates high costs for society. 5 Modern asthma treatment emphasises asthma control, 6 and studies have demonstrated that it is possible for many patients to obtain satisfactory control. 7 However, there are also some reports of poor control for asthma patients in primary care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary health care centres with asthma clinics: effects on patients' knowledge and asthma control

Lisspers

Ställberg

Hasselgren

et al. 2009

Primary Care Respiratory Journal

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Aim: To evaluate outcomes for patients attending primary care centres with and without asthma clinics. Methods:A cross-sectional survey at 42 primary health care centres randomly selected according to organisation of asthma care, 14 with complete, 14 with incomplete and 14 with no asthma clinic according to national criteria. 1,477 randomly selected patients 15-45 years received two questionnaires. Outcomes were: patients' knowledge of asthma; asthma control; and quality of life.Results: Patients attending primary health care centres with asthma clinics reported more knowledge of asthma but similar levels of asthma control and quality of life. Patients who reported they had visited the asthma nurse during the last year had more knowledge but similar asthma control and quality of life compared to patients who reported they had not. However, with more time allocated for the nurse, 44% achieved asthma control compared with 27% at asthma clinics with less time (p<0.003). Conclusions:Having an asthma clinic at a primary health care centre improves asthma patients' knowledge of the disease, and better asthma control is achieved if the nurse is allocated more time.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary health care centres with asthma clinics: effects on patients' knowledge and asthma control

Lisspers

Ställberg

Hasselgren

et al. 2009

Primary Care Respiratory Journal

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“…Asthma with more pronounced severity greatly affects daily life with an impaired quality of life, more frequent premature retirements and an increased risk of hospitalisation and death [1,5,6]. Severe asthma also causes the most significant economic burden of asthma, despite representing a minority of those with asthma [7,8].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-symptom asthma as an indication of disease severity in epidemiology

Ekerljung¹,

Bossios²,

Lötvall³

et al. 2011

European Respiratory Journal

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Epidemiological questionnaires have failed to identify individuals with severe asthma. The extent of symptoms of asthma can, however, be easily established in epidemiology, by identification of multiple symptoms. We hypothesise that reporting of multiple symptoms of asthma reflects uncontrolled disease and is a sign of more severe asthma. The aims of the current study were, therefore, to determine the prevalence and determinants of multi-symptom asthma.A postal questionnaire was sent to 30,000 randomly selected individuals aged 16-75 yrs. A subgroup underwent clinical examinations. Multi-symptom asthma was defined as reported physician-diagnosed asthma, use of asthma medication, recurrent wheeze, attacks of shortness of breath and at least one additional respiratory symptom.The prevalence of multi-symptom asthma was 2.0%, and it was more common among females (2.4 versus 1.5%; p,0.001) and those with a body mass index .30 kg?m -2 . Multi-symptom asthmatics had lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s, higher exhaled nitric oxide fraction and more pronounced hyperresponsiveness. Family history of both asthma and allergy (OR 7.3), and occupational exposure to gas dust or fumes (OR 2.0) were also significant risk factors. Multi-symptom asthmatics comprise 2% of the general population; multi-symptom asthma is related to signs of more severe disease and could be used as an epidemiological marker of disease severity.

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“…The two visible symptoms of asthma suggested by the physicians during the interviews were 'a need to stop for breathing when walking at own pace' and 'wakening at night with shortness of breath' (Pant 2008). Jansson et al (2007) based on his study in Sweden also reported shortness of breath and wheezing as the symptoms of asthma. Similarly, the visible symptoms of the eye disease were red eye, watery eye and light sensitivity.…”

Section: Smoking and Pet Ownershipmentioning

confidence: 95%

Cheaper Fuel and Higher Health Costs Among the Poor in Rural Nepal

Pant¹

2011

AMBIO

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Biomass fuels are used by the majority of resource poor households in low-income countries. Though biomass fuels, such as dung-briquette and firewood are apparently cheaper than the modern fuels indoor pollution from burning biomass fuels incurs high health costs. But, the health costs of these conventional fuels, mostly being indirect, are poorly understood. To address this gap, this study develops probit regression models using survey data generated through interviews from households using either dung-briquette or biogas as the primary source of fuel for cooking. The study investigates factors affecting the use of dung-briquette, assesses its impact on human health, and estimates the associated household health costs. Analysis suggests significant effects of dung-briquette on asthma and eye diseases. Despite of the perception of it being a cheap fuel, the annual health cost per household due to burning dung-briquette (US$ 16.94) is 61.3% higher than the annual cost of biogas (US$ 10.38), an alternative cleaner fuel for rural households. For reducing the use of dung-briquette and its indirect health costs, the study recommends three interventions: (1) educate women and aboriginal people, in particular, and make them aware of the benefits of switching to biogas; (2) facilitate tree planting in communal as well as private lands; and (3) create rural employment and income generation opportunities.

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The economic consequences of asthma among adults in Sweden

Abstract: The total costs of asthma for the society could be estimated at 3.7 billion SEK in the age range of 25-56 years, and thus approximately twice as high in the whole population of Sweden. The costs were strongly dependent on disease severity and increasing age.

Cited by 47 publications

References 27 publications

Primary health care centres with asthma clinics: effects on patients' knowledge and asthma control

Primary health care centres with asthma clinics: effects on patients' knowledge and asthma control

Multi-symptom asthma as an indication of disease severity in epidemiology

Cheaper Fuel and Higher Health Costs Among the Poor in Rural Nepal

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