Bronchial asthma and the short-term quality of life: follow-up study of childhood bronchial asthma in Hungary

• Published in: Pediatric allergy and immunology Vol. 15; no. 6; pp. 539 - 544
• Main Authors: SZABO, Alexandra, CSERHATI, Endre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Munksgaard International Publishers 01.12.2004; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Asthma - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; childhood bronchial asthma; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Female; Follow-Up Studies; follow-up to adulthood; Humans; Hungary - epidemiology; Immunopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pneumology; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Severity of Illness Index; short-term quality of life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time; Hungary; Europe; Human; Short term; Immunopathology; Lung disease; childhood bronchial asthma; Respiratory disease; short-term quality of life; Respiratory system; Asthma; Quality of life; Respiratory tract; Immunology; Follow up study; Bronchus disease; follow-up to adulthood; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Child
• ISSN: 0905-6157; 1399-3038
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2004.00183.x

The aim of our study is to determine and describe the current short‐term health‐related quality of life of recent adult patients who had bronchial asthma in childhood. Our objective was to investigate if symptom control in bronchial asthma could be in conflict with general quality of life. We made a follow‐up study of 152 patients (105 male, 47 female) over the age of 30 (31–55 yr) who were allergic asthmatics in childhood. The patients’ current symptoms and short‐term quality of life were evaluated by a questionnaire. The patients developed asthmatic symptoms by age 4.4 (0.5–13) years on the average. Now 60% (91 persons) have no symptoms. They became symptom‐free between 3 and 41 yr of age (mean = 14.2 ± 8.2). Amongst the currently asthmatic patients (58 patients, 38%), 34 patients (22%) belong to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) I, nine patients (6%) to the GINA II, five patients (3.3%) to the GINA III, and five patients (3.3%) to the GINA IV classification. Five patients (3.3%) did not specify their own symptoms. Three persons (2%) did not answer this question. Symptomatic patients reached 5.28 on the Juniper Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, while their asymptomatic peers scored statistically higher with 6.8 on the scale. Amongst the symptomatic patients, the most limited areas were: ‘bothered by heavy breathing’, ‘had to avoid a situation or environment because of dust’, ‘experienced difficulty breathing out as a result of asthma’, ‘experienced asthma symptoms as a result of the weather or air pollution outside’. They were least ‘concerned about medication’, ‘frustrated as a result of their asthma’, they were least limited in ‘going outside because of the weather or air pollution’. The most problematic areas for the symptom‐free patients were ‘had to avoid a situation or environment because of dust’, ‘had to avoid a situation or environment because of cigarette smoke’, ‘experiencing asthma symptoms as a result of being exposed to dust and the ‘need to clear throat’. It seems that having no asthma symptoms is not equal to having a good quality of life for asthmatic patients. Moreover, symptom control in bronchial asthma is in conflict with quality of life, as many prophylactic measures to prevent exposure to allergens also restrict the patient's life.