Abstract:
Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease among
children, representing a leading cause of paediatric
morbidity and healthcare utilisation. It profoundly
impacts various aspects of children’s quality of life and
the quality of life of their caregivers. This study aims
to assess the quality of life experienced by children
with asthma and their caregivers and to determine the
association between asthma control and quality of life.
The children aged 6 to 16 years with asthma under the
care of paediatric clinics at Teaching Hospital Jaffna
and their caregivers were recruited. Data were collected
through an interviewer-administered questionnaire.
Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the
correlations between asthma score and quality of life,
and a linear regression was done to identify whether
the asthma score can predict the child’s quality of life.
Ninety-nine children and their caregivers participated
in the study. Asthma was more prevalent among boys
(54.5%). The mean age of children was 115.5± 31.6
months. The mean score on the childhood asthma
control test was 19 ±4.05. The child-reported mean
quality of life score was 74.47±10.05. Overall quality
of life score was significantly diminished in children
with uncontrolled asthma (p=0.003). There was a weak,
positive correlation between the child’s total quality of
life score and the asthma score. (r=0.25, p=0.006)
In conclusion, this study highlights that asthma exerts
a significant impact on children’s quality of life,
particularly when the condition remains uncontrolled.
The weak, positive correlation between the child’s
asthma control score and total QoL score indicates that
while asthma severity affects QoL, it is not the sole
determinant
