Abstract
Background
During the past two decades, the number of children and adolescents who are obese
has more than doubled. Following this trend in childhood obesity, there has been an
alarming increase in the number of children with asthma who are overweight.
Objective
The aim of this study was to examine the differences in quality of life (QOL) and
health outcomes of obese and overweight children with asthma compared with normal-weight
children with asthma using a descriptive comparative survey design.
Methods
This comparative study consisted of 90 overweight and normal-weight 9- to 14-year-olds
with asthma. Health outcomes examined included asthma-related missed number of school
days, emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, number of days wheezing,
and number of night awakenings. QOL was measured using the Pediatric Asthma Quality
of Life Questionnaire.
Results
The obese group reported the highest percentage of ED visits, hospitalizations, and
number of days wheezing compared with the normal-weight group. A risk ratio analysis
showed that the obese group had an overall 2.73 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.15,
3.63) times higher likelihood of going to the ED and a 2.46 (95% CI 1.97, 3.19) times
higher likelihood of hospitalization than the overweight and normal-weight groups.
Asthma severity was a significant predictor of overall QOL (β = −23.737, p = .002).
Conclusions
The study results are consistent with other investigations that demonstrate that obese
persons are at higher risk of experiencing severe asthma symptoms and support obesity
as a potentially modifiable risk factor for asthma mitigation and prevention.
Key Words
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Biography
Amy Becker Manion, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Rush University, Chicago, IL.
Biography
Barbara Velsor-Friedrich, Professor and Director of PhD Program, College of Nursing, Loyola University, Chicago, IL.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 11, 2016
Footnotes
Supported by a National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Foundation Research Grant to A.B.M.
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
