title: The social impact of asthma.
abstract: While much research has examined the aetiology and treatment of asthma, little work has been done on its social impact. Yet asthma, like any disease, has a social as well as a medical dimension and it is increasingly being recognized that these two dimensions are interlinked. This paper describes a study into the social and personal impact of asthma on the lives of sufferers and their families. It shows that people are affected in many different ways: in employment, schooling, physical activities, social interaction, personal relationships and emotional well-being. All of the people interviewed had experienced some impact on their lives, albeit to varying degrees. The overall social impact was positively correlated with the severity of the asthma itself; this correlation was statistically significant in the case of adults and children under school age.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Manchester, Rusholme Health Centre, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nocon
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Booth
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012574:Schools; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom