title: Influence of sociodemographic factors on quality of life during pollen season in seasonal allergic rhinitis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome in asthma and seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), and its determinants are imperfectly understood. More specifically, the influence of sociodemographic factors on QOL in patients with SAR has been so far little investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the changes of QOL during the pollen season in patients with isolated SAR or SAR associated with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study was conducted in southern France. Outpatients aged 18 to 60 years and regularly treated by respiratory physicians for SAR (with or without associated asthma) were identified. Patients were recruited before the grass or ragweed pollination period. At peak pollination, patients completed the French versions of the Mini Rhino-conjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (mini-RQLQ) and the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 135 patients was included, 83 with isolated SAR and 52 with associated asthma (mean age, 35.4 years; SD, 10.6 years; 56% female). At pollen peak, QOL scores were lower in women for all instruments, with significant effects on SF-12 MCS and PCS scores in multivariate analyses. Likewise, a university-level education was an independent predictor of higher SF-12 PCS and MCS scores. Patients who lived in rural areas had significantly poorer QOL at pollen peak, as measured by the mini-RQLQ (P = .002) and SF-12 PCS (P = .008). No influence of age, presence of an animal at home, or smoking status could be identified on any QOL scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Being a woman, living in the countryside, and having a lower education level were all independent predictors of poorer QOL of SAR patients. These factors must be taken into account when interpreting QOL of patients with SAR. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, EA 3091, University Hospital, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laforest
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bousquet
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neukirch
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aubier
authors.forename: Guilhem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pietri
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Devouassoux
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Ganse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects; D011788:Quality of Life; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens