The usefulness of a condition-specific measure (child-report) for the evaluation of the adaptation of children with asthma

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to identify the distinctive contribution of the assessment of children´s asthma-specific quality of life. Children's generic quality of life, temperament, parental perception of asthma management, and the children’s perceived impact of asthma were assessed. The sample group comprised 81 children (aged between 8 and 12 years, diagnosed with asthma) and their parents. The results showed that the asthma module assesses unique aspects of living with asthma and is more sensitive to asthma severity. It also evidences stronger associations with predictors of child adaptation to asthma than the generic module, showing its usefulness in clinical practice.