Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents with Wheezing Attacks

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.06.002

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 41, Issue 5, November 2007, Pages 464-471

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.06.002 Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life in adolescents with wheezing attacks using self-reported data, and to determine independent associations between wheezing attacks and quality of life using multivariate linear regression models.

Methods

Our study sample included 933 of 1071 eligible adolescents who participated in a study in two Municipal Health Services in the Netherlands. Wheezing was defined based on selected questions from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Quality of life was measured using the Child Health Questionnaire–Child Form (CHQ-CF). Higher scores indicated better quality of life.

Results

According to the adolescents, 72 (7.7%) and 24 (2.6%) had less than four and, at least four wheezing attacks during the past year, respectively. Compared with adolescents who never wheezed, adolescents with wheezing attacks had significantly lower quality of life scores for nine out of 10 CHQ-CF scales. Except for the Role Physical and Family Activities scales, relevant differences in quality of life were observed for all scales among adolescents who reported at least four wheezing attacks during the past year; most affected were the Bodily Pain, General Health, Self Esteem, and Mental Health scales. In multivariate linear regression models, wheezing attacks remained significantly associated with quality of life for nine out of 10 CHQ-CF scales.

Conclusions

Wheezing attacks are independently associated with several dimensions of health-related quality of life in adolescents. Specifically, the presence of at least four wheezing attacks during the past year was associated with relevant deficits in quality of life.

Section snippets

Study population

In 2003, 1.071 adolescents from seven secondary schools belonging to 55 third-year classes with various educational levels in two Municipal Health Services in the Netherlands (Vlaardingen and Harderwijk), were invited to complete a questionnaire on health and health-related quality of life [10]. Adolescents and their parents separately received written information about the study several weeks before data collection; parents were allowed to refuse their child’s participation (passive consent),

Results

The response rate was 87% (n = 933). General characteristics of the study population (mean age of 15 years, 54% were girls), stratified for wheezing, are summarized in Table 1. According to the adolescents, 61 wheezed more than 1 year ago (6.5%), and 96 wheezed during the past year (10.3%); 72 (7.7%) and 24 (2.6%) reported less than four and at least four wheezing attacks, respectively. The number of adolescents who never wheezed (reference group) was 776 (83%).

Compared with the reference

Discussion

This study evaluated generic health-related quality of life in adolescents with wheezing attacks using self-reported data in a general school population setting. Our study shows that wheezing was associated with reduced quality of life in adolescents for multiple domains of quality of life as measured by the CHQ. Quality of life was poorer in adolescents with wheezing attacks during the past year than in adolescents who wheezed more than 1 year ago. Specifically, we observed that compared with

Acknowledgments

The Municipal Health Services in Vlaardingen and Harderwijk, the Netherlands, were responsible for data collection. The authors thank the school physicians, nurses, doctors’ assistants, and epidemiologists of the participating Municipal Health Services for facilitating this project in collaboration with the related schools. The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) funded this study; Prevention Research Program Grant # 2100.0066.

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The researchers concluded that interventions designed to decrease depression and prevent asthma exacerbations might improve QOL for adolescents with asthma. In line with this study, Mohangoo and colleagues23 evaluated health-related QOL (HRQOL) in adolescents with wheezing attacks using self-reported data, and determined independent associations between wheezing attacks and QOL. The presence of at least 4 wheezing attacks during the past year was associated with relevant deficits in QOL.
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Original articleHealth-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents with Wheezing Attacks

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Study population

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgments

J Clin Epidemiol

The prevalence of asthma in children: a reversing trend

Eur Respir J

A review of measures of quality of life for children with chronic illness

Arch Dis Child

Measurement of Quality of Life in Children

Quality-of-life assessment in children and adolescents with asthma

Eur Respir J

Pediatric health-related quality of life questionnaires in clinical trials

Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol

The CHQ user’s manual

Can parents rate their child’s health-related quality of life?Results of a systematic review

Qual Life Res

Comparison of quality of life between asthmatic and healthy school children

Pediatr Allergy Immunol

Agreement between adolescent self-report and parent reports of health and well-being: results of an epidemiological study

Child Care Health Dev

Original article
Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents with Wheezing Attacks