Happiness to be gained in paediatric asthma care

¹ Dept of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen
² Centre for Rehabilitation, University Medical Centre, Groningen, University Groningen
³ Hanze University applied Sciences, Groningen; and Dept of Health Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: b.flapper{at}bkk.umcg.nl.

	Abstract

To establish the efficacy in terms of morbidity and health-related-quality-of-life (HRQOL) of a group asthma-education-exercise program to children with low (< P10 =unhappy) quality-of-life-scores.

Controlled, randomised, open, clinical trial. 36 of 53 unhappy children, among 204 (68%) respondents, treated in 4 paediatric practices, enrolled (mean age 10 years; range: 8–12 years), after random allocation in control and intervention groups (child, parent, teacher). Measurements were taken at T0, T3, T6 (T9 intervention group only). All but 4 controls completed the study.

Results: T0-T6 changes () in HRQOL were clinically important and significantly greater in the intervention than control group, for generic-HRQOL (Effect size .95; +16% ± 12% vs -1± 4%), and for asthma-specific-HRQOL (ES .58; +15% ± 17% vs 1.5± 14). T9 measurements were consistent with T6 findings. Changes in sick days (ES 0.78), oral prednisone courses (ES 0.71) and doctors visits (ES 0.74) over a 6 months period were greater in the intervention than in the control group (P< .01). Changes could not be ascribed to change in lungfunction or medication.

In unhappy children, quality-of-life and morbidity may improve with a low intensity asthma-education-exercise program, even without gains in pulmonary function or exercise tolerance.