Predictive Value of the TRACK Questionnaire as a Measure of Asthma Control in Preschool Aged Children

ABSTRACT

Assessment of asthma control in preschool children is important for therapeutic decisions. Aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of TRACK questionnaire scores for subsequent clinical parameters and to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the TRACK questionnaire. We enrolled 100 children with asthma aged 4 years or younger in this cohort study. We recorded sociodemographic characteristics and clinical severity parameters. A pediatric allergist filled in the asthma severity scale and the caregiver of the child filled in the TRACK questionnaire. We called in the children again at the end of one month and recorded the same parameters and administered TRACK again. Uncontrolled asthma was defined as a TRACK score below 80. According to the TRACK score, 65% of the children had controlled asthma initially while at the end of the study 64.1% had controlled asthma. At the beginning of the study, all clinical parameters were worse in children with uncontrolled asthma according to TRACK score. Similarly, other objective clinical parameters during the following one month period were worse in children with initial uncontrolled asthma. Cronbach's alpha score for the TRACK questionnaire was 0.84. Turkish TRACK questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool that is predictive of short term asthma prognosis.