OBJECTIVES: To measure the quality of life of asthmatic children and to find their social and health situation. DESIGN: Transversal, descriptive study. SETTING: Cadiz health centre with a population of 3680 children. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty two children included in the asthma programme. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The data were collected in 2004 from the clinical histories of the Andalusian Health Service and through personal interviews using the PAQLQ quality of life questionnaire. Social-demographic, clinical, service-use, and quality-of-life variables were collected. Version 11.0 of the SPSS programme was used for the analysis. RESULTS: There were more boys (65.4%). The social-demographic profile found that 80.6% were in nuclear families and 75% had absence of damp at home. The asthma background was 17.3% in fathers and 25% in mothers. Of active smokers, 57.7% were fathers and 42.3% were mothers. Mean annual consultations in primary care were 5.5+/-4.6 in total and 1.5+/-2.5 for asthma. The mean score on the quality-of-life questionnaire was 5.5+/-1.3, and in its various dimensions: restriction on physical activity, 5.3+/-1.6; symptoms, 5.5+/-1.3; and emotional aspects, 5.6+/-1.4. CONCLUSIONS: The population of asthmatic children included in the asthma programme have a good quality of life, especially in the emotional dimension. The social and health situation, clinical status and the quality-of-life score are very homogeneous.
OBJECTIVES: To measure the quality of life of asthmatic children and to find their social and health situation. DESIGN: Transversal, descriptive study. SETTING: Cadiz health centre with a population of 3680 children. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty two children included in the asthma programme. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The data were collected in 2004 from the clinical histories of the Andalusian Health Service and through personal interviews using the PAQLQ quality of life questionnaire. Social-demographic, clinical, service-use, and quality-of-life variables were collected. Version 11.0 of the SPSS programme was used for the analysis. RESULTS: There were more boys (65.4%). The social-demographic profile found that 80.6% were in nuclear families and 75% had absence of damp at home. The asthma background was 17.3% in fathers and 25% in mothers. Of active smokers, 57.7% were fathers and 42.3% were mothers. Mean annual consultations in primary care were 5.5+/-4.6 in total and 1.5+/-2.5 for asthma. The mean score on the quality-of-life questionnaire was 5.5+/-1.3, and in its various dimensions: restriction on physical activity, 5.3+/-1.6; symptoms, 5.5+/-1.3; and emotional aspects, 5.6+/-1.4. CONCLUSIONS: The population of asthmatic children included in the asthma programme have a good quality of life, especially in the emotional dimension. The social and health situation, clinical status and the quality-of-life score are very homogeneous.