title: Asthma control in Australia: a cross-sectional web-based survey in a nationally representative population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify patterns of asthma control and treatment in Australian adults with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional web-based survey, conducted 1-27 November 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults with current asthma, at least 16 years of age, drawn randomly from a web-based panel and weighted to reflect national population proportions for people with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores; health care utilisation; medication use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  2686 participants completed the survey (57.1% female; median age group, 40-49 years). Mean ACT score was 19.2 (95% CI, 18.9-19.3), with asthma classified as "well controlled" for 54.4% of participants, "not well controlled" for 22.7% and "very poorly controlled" for 23.0%. 60.8% reported using preventer medication (mostly combined inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist) during the previous year. 23.4% had made at least one urgent visit to a general practitioner concerning their asthma, 10.0% at least one emergency department visit. Urgent consultations were more common for "very poorly controlled" than "well controlled" asthma (adjusted odds ratio, urgent GP visits 5.98 [95% CI, 4.75-7.54] and emergency department visits 2.59 [95% CI, 1.91-3.53] respectively). Participants were classified according to asthma symptom control and frequency of preventer medication usage: Those with "well controlled" asthma included Group A (40.0% of participants) who used preventer medication infrequently (less than 5 days a week) or not at all, consistent with mild asthma, and Group B (14.7%), who used it at least 5 days a week. Uncontrolled asthma symptoms were reported by Group C (19.7%) despite regular preventer use, and by Group D (25.7%), who used none or little.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides the first data about asthma control and its relationship with treatment in a large representative Australian population. The findings highlight significant preventable asthma morbidity in Australia.
authors.affiliation: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. helen.reddel@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Helen K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Reddel
authors.affiliation: Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.affiliation: InSync Surveys, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.affiliation: InSync Surveys, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Flood
authors.affiliation: Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Peters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents