RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Parent misperception of control in childhood/adolescent asthma: The room to breathe survey JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP erj00489-2011 DO 10.1183/09031936.00048911 A1 W.D. Carroll A1 J. Wildhaber A1 P.L.P. Brand YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2011/06/20/09031936.00048911.abstract AB To determine how often asthma control is achieved in children and adolescents, and how asthma affects the parents' and children's daily lives, interviews including the childhood asthma control test (C-ACT) were conducted with 1284 parents of asthmatic children (aged 4–15 years), as well as with the children themselves (aged 8–15 yrs, n=943), in Canada, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Parents reported mild asthma attacks at least weekly in 11% of children, and serious attacks (requiring oral corticosteroids or hospitalization) at least annually in 35%. Although 73% of parents described their child's asthma as mild or intermittent, 40% of children/adolescents had C-ACT scores ≤19, indicating inadequate control and only 14.7% achieved complete GINA-defined control and just 9.2% achieved SIGN/BTS-defined control. Guideline-defined asthma control was significantly less common than well-controlled asthma using the C-ACT (p<0.001). Asthma restricted child's activities in 39% of families, and caused lifestyle changes in 70%. Complete asthma control is uncommon in children worldwide. Guideline-defined control measures appear to be more stringent than those defined by C-ACT or families. Overall parents underestimate their child's asthma severity and overestimate asthma control. This is a major potential barrier to successful asthma treatment in children.