Abstract

FERREIRA, Jorge; SILVEIRA, Pedro  and  MARQUES, J Agostinho. National study of asthma quality of life: Application of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ-M) by Marks in the portuguese population. Rev Port Pneumol [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.4, pp.459-486. ISSN 0873-2159.

The Portuguese version of the Marks Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ-M) has already proven to have good diagnostic properties, and is suitable for use with Portuguese asthma patients. The last forty years have seen a worldwide rise in the rate, morbidity, mortality and economic burden associated with asthma and the disease continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. In this study the AQLQ-M was administered to 826 asthmatic patients from continental Portugal (97.9% Caucasian, mean age 40.5 years, 30.2% male, 69.8% female), followedup by pulmonologists and allergologists. Patients were classified in line with the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) severity categories: 40.5% intermittent asthma, 26.9% mild persistent, 21.4% moderate persistent, 11.2% severe persistent. AQLQ-M scores maintained significant relationships with asthma severity, symptoms and lung function. Most of the patients were not managed and 74.6% were observed in an emergency room during last year. Women reported poorer QoL than men in all the questionnaire’s subscales. Surprisingly, smokers presented better QoL than non-smokers. The results of this study evidence that the Portuguese version of the AQLQ-M is a useful instrument for measuring health-related quality of life in adults with asthma.

Keywords : Asthma; quality of life; questionnaires.

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