Attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms in children with asthma.
BACKGROUND
Asthma that is chronic may influence children's behavioral health and quality of life (QoL) negatively.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency of attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms in children with asthma and to determine if these symptoms are associated with a deterioration of QoL.


METHODS
Mothers of 62 children with moderate asthma and those of 38 healthy children aged between 7-12 years were included in the study. Conners' Parent Rating Scale-48 (CPRS), a 48-item multiple-choice questionnaire, was completed by the mothers to identify attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms in children. The Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) was filled in by children to measure QoL.


RESULTS
Mean age was 9.2 +/- 1.5 years for asthmatic children (37 male, 25 female) and 10.1 +/- 1.3 years for control group (20 male, 18 female). The two groups were similar regarding age and sex. Attention deficit score in the asthma group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p = 0.01). The frequency of hyperactivity was higher in the asthmatic group but the difference between the groups was not significant (p = 0.36). Attention deficit and hyperactivity scores of Conners-P were not correlated with PAQLQ scores (regarding total, activity, emotional and symptom domains).


CONCLUSIONS
Increased rates of attention deficit symptoms in children with asthma, as reported by mothers, might reflect the negative impact of asthma on neurobehavioral health. Asthmatic children, especially the ones who display attention deficit symptoms, must be considered for further evaluation regarding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Yuksel
Hasan
H
Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonology Unit, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey. hyuskelefe@hotmail.com
Sogut
Ayhan
A
Yilmaz
Ozge
O
D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires