1- Serviço de Imunoalergologia, Hospital de Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, EPE
2- CEDOC, NOVA Medical School / Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
- European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress 2015, 6-10 June, Barcelona, Spain
- Apresentação sob a forma de poster; publicação de resumo
- Reunião Internacional
- Best Abstract Prize
Resumo:
Background: Chronic respiratory diseases may be associated with a poorer quality of life (QoL) due to its symptoms and to the several limitations that arise from a lack of control. This phenomenon is even more notorious in the elderly due to the frequent coexisting comorbidities.
Aim: To study the associations between QoL in the elderly, reported asthma and wheezing in the previous 12 months.
Methods: Within the scope of the first phase of the GERIA project 53 nursing homes from Lisbon and Oporto were randomly selected and stratified by parish. During the period of September 2012 to April 2013 was administered a questionnaire by an interviewer to the nursing’s residents. It included different sections in order to assess respiratory complaints, quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref), cognitive impairment (mini mental state examination) and depression status (Geriatric Depression Scale). A descriptive analysis of the answers was carried out as well as a logistic regression study regarding the association of the diagnosis of asthma and wheezing in the past 12 months with the scores of each of the four dimensions of the WHOQOL-Bref: physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental health. The effect of gender, age, schooling, marital status, cognitive impairment and depression status were considered.
Results: The overall answer rate of the questionnaire was 42% (887/2110). The surveyed sample included 79% of females with a mean age of 84 years (SD 7 years). Wheezing in the previous 12 months and asthma were reported by 11.3% and 8.6% respectively. In the multivariate analysis, a score less than 50 (indicative of a low QoL) in the physical domain was associated with the occurrence of wheezing in the past 12 months (OR: 2.31; IC 95%: 1.43-2.72; p < 0.001) and asthma (OR: 2.14; IC 95%: 1.25-3.68; p = 0.006). No associations were found for the other domains, after adjustment.
Conclusions: The association found between impaired quality of life, asthma and wheezing suggests that elderly may have physical limitations caused by these conditions. A better control of these diseases could improve QoL.
Palavras Chave: elderly, asthma, quality of life, nursing homes