The influence of demographic and socioeconomic factors on health-related quality of life in asthma

Background: Although health-related quality of life (HRQL) in asthma is str ongly influenced by disease severity, demographic and socioeconomic variabl es may also be important factors. Objective: We related demographics, asthma severity, and socioeconomic fact ors to HRQL, Methods: We interviewed 50 patients with moderate or severe asthma recruite d from outpatient health center-based clinics to determine demographics, so cioeconomic status, asthma severity, medication use, and HRQL, For HRQL, th e mean total score of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and t he Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 questionnaires physical and mental component summary scores (PCS and MCS, respectively) were used. Results: The mean patient age was 46 +/- 14 years, and the FEV1 was 75% +/- 21% of predicted value. Twenty-nine subjects had been hospitalized for ast hma, 29 belonged to a minority racial/ethnic group, and 16 had less than 12 years of education. The mean total AQLQ score was 4.12 +/- 1.42, the PCS w as 37 +/- 10, and the MCS was 45 +/- 13. In univariate analyses, severity ( nighttime awakenings, prednisone use, and a history of emergency department visits), racial/ethnic group (African American, white, or Hispanic), and s ocioeconomic status-(low educational level, unemployed, family income under $20,000, public assistance, or no health insurance) were related to HRQL, These factors explained 67% of the variance of AQLQ and 48% of the variance of the PCS. Much of the quality of life variance was shared among these va riables. Explanatory variables were not related to MCS in multivariate anal ysis. Conclusion: Socioeconomic status is an additional important independent fac tor influencing HRQL in asthma In this study it was difficult to separate o ut the unique effects of socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity.