Faculty Collaboration Database

Validity and responsiveness of a brief, asthma-specific quality-of-life instrument in children with acute asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2004 Jan;92(1):47-51

Date

02/06/2004

Pubmed ID

14756464

DOI

10.1016/S1081-1206(10)61709-7

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-1642577218 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   31 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test the validity and short-term responsiveness to change of a pediatric, asthma-specific, health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) instrument.

METHODS: Children 2 years and older treated in the emergency department (ED) for acute asthma were eligible for this prospective cohort study. A 10-item instrument, the Integrated Therapeutics Group Child Asthma Short Form (ITG-CASF), was administered at the time of the ED visit and again 14 days later (via telephone). At the follow-up call, parents were also asked about the child's current overall asthma status, missed school or limited activities, and persistence of asthma symptoms.

RESULTS: A total of 121 children were enrolled (mean age, 7.9 years), and follow-up was complete for 96 (79%). Mean +/- SD ITG-CASF scores at follow-up were significantly higher among children reported to have improved overall (61.8 +/- 19.6) than those not improved (41.9 +/- 21.2), and there was a significant correlation between ITG-CASF score at follow-up and the number of days of school missed or limited activities (r = -0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.24 to -0.66). There was also a significant difference in improvement in ITG-CASF score from ED visit to follow-up among those improved (13.7-point improvement) compared with those not improved (3.3-point improvement; difference = 10.4; 95% CI, 1.2 to 19.5). The effect size was 0.68, indicating a large responsiveness to change.

CONCLUSIONS: The ITG-CASF is a valid and responsive measure of HRQL in children with acute asthma and may be a useful outcome measure in evaluating ED treatment.

Author List

Gorelick MH, Brousseau DC, Stevens MW

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acute Disease
Asthma
Child
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Health Care Surveys
Hospitals, Pediatric
Humans
Male
Prospective Studies
Quality of Life
Surveys and Questionnaires