The relationship between asthma severity, family functioning and the health-related quality of life of children with asthma

This study compared the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of 236 childr en with mild or moderate/severe asthma with that of a large representative sample of children in the general community. The study also examined the re lationship between the HRQL of children with asthma and their demographic c haracteristics, asthma severity and family functioning. Children with asthm a had a significantly poorer HRQL than other children in the community. Amo ngst the children with asthma, parents reported that children living in sin gle-parent families had poorer physical health, mental health and social fu nctioning than children in two-parent families. There was a significant rel ationship between the mental health of children with asthma and family func tioning but no significant relationship between their physical health and f amily functioning. These findings suggest that the domains comprising the H RQL of children with asthma are related to both disease and non-disease fac tors. A better understanding of these relationships will facilitate the dev elopment of new interventions to help children with asthma.