Qualidade de vida de crianças e adolescentes portadores de febre reumática / Quality of life of children and adolescents with rheumatic fever

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de vida de portadores de febre reumática em acompanhamento ambulatorial em dois hospitais. MÉTODOS: Estudo seccional utilizando o Questionário de Saúde da Criança (Child Health Questionnaire, CHQ) aplicado aos pais de 133 pacientes com febre reumática, com idade entre 5 e 18 anos. Foram calculados os escores das diferentes dimensões do questionário e comparados nas categorias de variáveis clínicas e sociodemográficas, utilizando-se teste não paramétrico. RESULTADOS: A idade dos pacientes variou de 5 a 18 anos, com média de 12 e desvio padrão de 2,8. A forma de apresentação mais comum da doença foi a articular associada à cardíaca, presente em 74 casos (56,1 por cento). A maioria das famílias pertencia à classe média baixa/pobre. Os seguintes parâmetros do questionário tiveram melhor performance: função física; atividade física social; aspectos sociais, emocionais e comportamentais na vida diária; dor corporal; e atividades familiares. Os itens com pior performance foram: coesão familiar; saúde geral; comportamento global; e impacto emocional nos pais. As meninas apresentaram melhor desempenho para: autoestima; aspectos sociais, emocionais e comportamentais; e saúde geral. A classe social B apresentou melhor performance para: saúde mental; função física; atividade física social; e atividades familiares. A classe social D/E, para dor corporal e aspectos socioemocionais. CONCLUSÕES: A qualidade de vida observada foi semelhante à de outras doenças crônicas estudadas, com resultado da performance nos diferentes parâmetros com valores intermediários, tanto no domínio físico como no domínio psicossocial. A classe social foi a variável que se associou a um maior número de componentes do CHQ.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life of patients with rheumatic fever receiving outpatient treatment at two hospitals. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) administered to the parents of 133 patients with rheumatic fever aged between 5 and 18 years. The scores of the several dimensions of the questionnaire were calculated and compared within the categories of clinical and sociodemographic variables using a nonparametric test. RESULTS: Patients' age ranged from 5 to 18 years old, with a mean age of 12 years and standard deviation of 2.8 years. The most common manifestation of the disease was articular symptoms associated with cardiac problems, present in 74 cases (56.1 percent). Most patients belonged to low-income families. Subjects had higher scores on the following concepts of the questionnaire: physical functioning, role/social-physical; role/social-emotional/behavioral; bodily pain; and family activities. The items with the lowest scores were: family cohesion; general health; global behavior; and parental impact-emotional. Girls had higher scores on: self-esteem; role/social-emotional/behavioral; and general health. Patients belonging to middle-income families had higher scores on: mental health; physical functioning; role/social-physical; and family activities. Children from the lowest social class had higher scores on bodily pain and psychosocial aspects. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of life of patients with rheumatic fever is similar to that of patients with other chronic diseases, showing intermediate scores on the several concepts included both in the physical and the psychosocial domains. Social class was the variable most frequently associated with the CHQ concepts.

Analytic study of depression among school students suffering from rheumatic fever

A total sample of 150 rheumatic fever students and a matched control group of an almost equal number [158] were included in this study. Cases and control group were subjected to the Child Depression Inventory. The depression state was found to be more among rheumatic fever cases [24.67%] compared with control group [12.66%] and among low socioeconomic class students. It was also, noticed that depression was more among those who suffered from cardiac lesions and those who were hospitalized. Poor scholastic achievement was observed more among rheumatic depressed than among rheumatic non-depressed, and it was noticed that depression was more among students who did not have any hobbies

Awareness about sore-throat, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in a rural community.

This I.C.M.R. study was conducted in 74 villages of Chiraigaon block, Varanasi, U.P., during the period March 1983 and December 1986. Before and after health education awareness survey about sore throat, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease was carried out by interviewing 315 persons by stratified random sampling. The study shows that there is significant increase in the knowledge about most of the symptoms, causes, consequences and preventive measures of sore throat, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. This paper highlights the importance of health education as a vital component of rheumatic heart disease control programme.