No Direct Association among Respiratory Function, Disease Control and Family Functioning in a Sample of Mexican Children with Intermittent Asthma

Abstract

Asthma has been linked to family disfunctioning and poor control of the disease. This study was conducted to analyze the interactions between the level of intermittent asthma control, family functioning and respiratory function and between quality of life of asthmatic patients and their caregivers. 7 to 15 years old children with intermittent asthma were included. Asthma Control Test Questionnaire, Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) test, and flowmetry were applied to children and Pediatric Asthma Caregiver´s Quatily of Life Questionnaire (PAQCLQ) and the Family Functioning Perception Test (FF-SIL) were applied to their parents. The most affected areas of family functioning in dysfunctional families were adaptability and permeability. A medium to high strength of association was founded between the emotional function of parents and the emotional function of children, R2=0.552. The most remarkable associations were among parents’ limitation of activities and parents' emotional function (r=0.837), parents’ limitation of activities and child's emotional function (r=0.722), parents' emotional role and limitation of activities (r=0.837), parents’ emotional role and emotional functioning of children with asthma (r=0.743) and the limitation of activities of children with asthma and the emotional function of children with asthma (r=0.870). No direct associations were founded among respiratory function, disease control and family functioning in Mexican children with intermittent asthma and emotional function of parents and children were associated in both groups.

Keywords

• Asthma
• Asthma control
• Children
• Family functioning
• Pediatric asthma
• Quality of life