An assessment of emotional quality of life and functional disturbances in adolescent with asthma in Hospital Selayang / Azrai Shukran Muhamad

Recent studies show that prevalence of asthma is higher among adolescents (11 to 17 year old) than young children (0 to 10 year old). Adolescents have poor asthma control resulting in a significant rise in the severity of asthma exacerbations and a reduction in their quality of life. Therefore, due to poor self-management of asthma, feelings of failure, lack of hope, anger, and self-censorship, lack of self-esteem, and fear represent an extra burden for these
adolescents. The aim of this study is to examine the association of asthma burden and functional disturbances with emotional QOL in adolescent with asthma. A cross sectional study involved 46 respondents of adolescent with asthma aged from 11 to 19was done in Hospital Selayang. The Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQOL), a self-administered instrument, was used to assess emotional QOL. Explanatory variables were asthma severity, activity limitation, emotional reaction and time of diagnosis. Of the adolescent surveyed, 90.9 % of 11 respondents that have severe asthma severity show poor emotional QOL. There is a strong significance association of poor asthma severity and emotional QOL (Kruskal Wallis test, p<0.05). In
conclusion, findings of this study suggest that asthma severity correlate with adolescent emotional QOL. Adolescent whose exhibit poor asthma control and severity are likely to experience an impaired level of QOL. Findings also suggest the importance of ascertaining asthma-specific QOL measures as it can be a reference for healthcare members in monitoring patient compliance, counseling and provide best plan for asthma self-management plan in
adolescent.