title: Level of asthma control and its impact on activities of daily living in asthma patients in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of asthma on activities of daily living and on health status in patients with controlled, partially controlled, or uncontrolled asthma in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data related to 400 patients in four Brazilian cities (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Curitiba), obtained in a survey conducted throughout Latin America in 2011. All study subjects were > 12 years of age and completed a standardized questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. The questions addressed asthma control, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and school/work absenteeism, as well as the impact of asthma on the quality of life, sleep, and leisure. The level of asthma control was determined in accordance with the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 400 respondents, asthma was controlled in 37 (9.3%), partially controlled in 226 (56.5%), and uncontrolled in 137 (34.2%). The numbers of patients with uncontrolled or partially controlled asthma who visited the emergency room, who were hospitalized, and who missed school/work were higher than were those of patients with controlled asthma (p = 0.001, p = 0.05, and p = 0.01, respectively). Among those with uncontrolled asthma, the impact of the disease on activities of daily living, sleep, social activities, and normal physical exertion was greater than it was among those with controlled or partially controlled asthma (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Brazil, asthma treatment should be monitored more closely in order to increase treatment adherence and, consequently, the level of asthma control, which can improve patient quality of life and minimize the negative impact of the disease.
authors: Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Mariana Rodrigues
authors: MR
authors: Gazzotti
authors: Oliver Augusto
authors: OA
authors: Nascimento
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Montealegre
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Fish
authors: José Roberto
authors: JR
authors: Jardim
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult