title: National study of asthma quality of life--application of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ-M) by Marks in the Portuguese population.
abstract: The Portuguese version of the Marks Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ-M) has already proven to have good diagnostic properties, and is suitable for use with Portuguese asthma patients. The last forty years have seen a worldwide rise in the rate, morbidity, mortality and economic burden associated with asthma and the disease continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. In this study the AQLQ-M was administered to 826 asthmatic patients from continental Portugal (97.9% Caucasian, mean age 40.5 years, 30.2% male, 69.8% female), followed up by pulmonologists and allergologists. Patients were classified in line with the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) severity categories: 40.5% intermittent asthma, 26.9% mild persistent, 21.4% moderate persistent, 11.2% severe persistent. AQLQ-M scores maintained significant relationships with asthma severity, symptoms and lung function. Most of the patients were not managed and 74.6% were observed in an emergency room during last year. Women reported poorer QoL than men in all the questionnaire's subscales. Surprisingly, smokers presented better QoL than non-smokers. The results of this study evidence that the Portuguese version of the AQLQ-M is a useful instrument for measuring health-related quality of life in adults with asthma.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Unidade Local de Saúde de Matosinhos, Pulmonology Unit, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Unidade Local de Saúde de Matosinhos.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: J Agostinho
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires