Quality of life of asthmatic adolescents: assessment of asthma severity, comorbidity, and life style Qualidade de vida em adolescentes asmáticos: avaliação da gravidade da asma, comorbidade e estilo de vida

Objective: To assess the quality of life (QoL) of asthmatic adolescents and its association with asthma severity, chronic diseases, and life style. Method: Cross-sectional study involving 210 female and male asthmatic adolescents between 12 and 21 years old. The Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, a self-administered instrument, was used. Explanatory variables were: allergic diseases, use of medication, passive smoking, occupational status, asthma severity, and life style. The analyses considered the dichotomous outcome (good/poor QoL) based on the mean scores. Generalized linear models (log-binomial) were used to calculate the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios. Results: Forty-six per cent of the girls and 57% of the boys had poor QoL. There was not correlation between chronic diseases and poor QoL. Low educational level, use of medication, passive smoking, and occupational factors had a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) with poor QoL. The adjusted analysis showed that severe asthma (PR = 1.53; 95%CI 1.12-2.11), use of medication (PR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.09-2.28), having asthma diagnosis established less than 5 years ago (PR = 1.30; 95%CI 0.97-1.86), passive smoking (PR = 1.38; 95%CI 1.35-2.00), and being employed (PR = 1.30; 95%CI 0.96-1.74) were associated with poor QoL. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary team needs to face the challenge of providing good QoL with the purpose of making these patients better adapted to society and to their own needs. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2009;85(6):523-530: Quality of life, asthma, adolescents, chronic disease. Resumo Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade de vida (QV) de adolescentes asmaticos e sua associacao com a gravidade da asma, doencas cronicas e estilo de vida. Metodo: Estudo seccional em 210 adolescentes asmaticos entre 12 e 21 anos de ambos os sexos. Utilizou-se questionario autopreenchivel, o Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Variaveis explicativas: doencas alergicas, uso de medicamentos, fumo passivo, trabalho, gravidade da asma e estilo de vida. As analises consideraram o desfecho dicotomico (QV boa/ruim) a partir da media dos escores. Modelos lineares generalizados (log-binomial) foram utilizados para o calculo de razoes de prevalencia (RP) brutas e ajustadas. Resultados: Quarenta e seis por cento das meninas e 57% dos meninos apresentavam uma QV ruim. Nao houve correlacao entre doencas cronicas e QV ruim. Escolaridade baixa, uso de medicamentos, fumo passivo e trabalho tiveram relacao estatisticamente significativa (p < 0,05) com QV ruim. A analise ajustada mostrou que asma grave (RP = 1,53; IC95% 1,12-2,11), uso de medicacao (RP = 1,58; IC95% 1,09-2,28), ter menos de 5 anos de diagnostico de asma (RP = 1,30; IC95% 0,97-1,86), fumo passivo (RP = 1,38; IC95% 1,35-2,00) e estar trabalhando (RP = 1,30; IC95% 0,96-1,74) se associavam a