title: [Initial validation of a scale to measure the burden for parents/caregivers of children with asthma and factors associated with this burden in a population of asthmatic children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the high probability of a heavy burden for parents and/or caregivers of children with asthma, instruments intended to measure it have not been validated in the context of asthma. Moreover, factors associated with this burden are unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To begin the validation of a scale to measure the burden for parents/caregivers of asthmatic children, and to determine the factors associated with this burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed an analytical cross-sectional and validation of scale study. At the outpatient section of the Clinic of Pediatric Pulmonology in the Hospital Universitario Clinica San Rafael, we measured the burden of parents and/or caregivers of children with asthma using a shortened version of the Zarit scale throughout 2011. We performed a principal components factor analysis and adjusted logistic regression models to identify independent factors associated with a heavy burden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median (interquartile range) age of the 162 children included in the study was 6 (4-9) years. Out of the total of parents and/or caregivers, 37 (22.8%) were experiencing a heavy burden. Factor analysis of the Zarit scale showed a probable structure of two factors, which together accounted for 61.5% of the variance of the results. Uncontrolled asthma was the only predictor independently associated with a heavy burden in the multivariate analysis (OR 5.38; 95% CI 1.43-20.16, p = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Zarit scale used has an adequate factorial structure, an acceptable internal consistency, and an adequate construct validity for measuring the burden for parents and/or caregivers of children with asthma. The level of a child's asthma control is the most important independent predictor of this burden.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neumología Pediátrica, Hospita Universitario San Rafael, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pedraza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Subdirección de Docencia e Investigación Científica, Hospital Militar Central, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Ranniery
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Acuña
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires