title: Measurement of quality of life during different clinical phases of Japanese cedar pollinosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess Quality of Life (QOL) scores in patients with Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica, CJ) pollinosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  QOL was measured intraseasonally and extraseasonally in patients (n = 69) using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey, and compared with healthy control subjects (n = 50). The differences in intraseasonal QOL scores between short and long disease duration groups were studied. The relation of intraseasonal QOL scores to nose symptoms was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant decrease was observed in two of eight QOL items in intraseasonal measurements of patients. These QOL impairments improved extraseasonally. Scores for emotional problems in patients with long disease duration were less impaired than those with short disease duration. QOL scores in patients correlated poorly with the severity of nasal symptom.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to report QOL impairment in CJ pollinosis. Based on the findings long disease duration may improve emotional problems, and the correlation between disease severity and QOL is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Suita Municipal Hospital, 2-13-20 Katayama-cho, Suita, Osaka 564-0082, Japan. nishiike@concerto.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Suetaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiike
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: Morihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irifune
authors.forename: Hiroe
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arimoto
authors.forename: Yoshikiyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D032485:Cryptomeria / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires