K. Jones et al., Associations between an asthma morbidity index and ideas of fright and bother in a community population, RESP MED, 93(7), 1999, pp. 515-519
There is a need for simple asthma outcome measures for primary care which a
re not only valid in terms of their relationship with lung function but als
o in terms of pragmatic psychological constructs. This study assesses the u
sefulness of adding items on the degree of 'bother' and "fright' caused by
the condition to a previously validated simple asthma morbidity index.
A postal questionnaire survey comprising a simple asthma morbidity index an
d questions on 'fright' and 'bother' was conducted in one general practice
in the north-east of England.
Responses were obtained from 570 individuals. Of these, 184 (32%) reported
low, 133 (23%) medium and 253 (44%) high morbidity. Twenty-nine per cent of
respondents had felt frightened by their asthma in the previous 4 weeks. B
oth the 'fright' and 'bother' items were significantly associated with the
morbidity index.
The addition of 'bother' and/or 'fright' questions may improve both the con
tent, construct and predictive validity of the morbidity index, but this ne
eds to be established prospectively.