ABSTRACT
Background: People's concerns about both health and emerging social life significantly affected not only their physical but also mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients those with chronic diseases such as asthma are more vulnerable about the outcomes of the pandemic. We aim to evaluate the anxiety and quality of life(QoL) of adolescents and their parents who were followed up with the diagnosis of asthma during the pandemic comparing with age-matched control group. Method(s): This study was conducted after the first lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic, namely new normalization period. Demographic features were noted, all adolescents completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories for Children(STAI-C) state and trait scales, and Pediatric QoL inventories(PedsQL). Parents also fulfilled PedsQL parent version, STAI state and trait scales. Asthma control test(ACT) was completed by only asthma group. Result(s): Totally 121 adolescents(61 asthma group[59% female];60 control group[73.8% female]) were included into the study. The mean age of the patients was 15.4(+1.69) and their parents was 41.52(+6.04) years. The comparative demographic and general characteristics of the patients are shown in Table 1. There were no significant difference in terms of PedsQL both child's and parent's perspective, STAI-C and STAI scores between study groups. In the asthma group 65.6% of the patients used asthma medications regularly and 73.8% of them continued asthma follow-up during the pandemic. The asthma group was divided into three subgroups according to asthma symptom control in Global Initiative for Asthma report (well-controlled, partly controlled, uncontrolled). The QoL was associated with asthma severity;PedsQL PH, PSH and TH scores were also significantly different according to the asthma control status, p value is < 0.001, 0.023 and 0.008, respectively. The uncontrolled asthma group had the lowest PedQL scores and also reached the highest STAI-C trait scores. Girls with asthma had significantly lower PedQL and ACT scores than boys. Conclusion(s): Although the quality of life and anxiety scores of children with asthma do not differ from control group, good asthma control in adolescents with asthma may improve QoL. Optimizing asthma treatment adherence and being aware of the difficulties that adolescents may experience during the pandemic is important. Clinicians should routinely enquire about mental health as well as physical health of patients with chronic diseases. (Table Presented).
ABSTRACT
Objective: We aimed to evaluate asthma control status, drug compliance and anxiety levels of children and their parents who were followed up with the diagnosis of asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): Sixty-seven children aged between 8-12 years diagnosed with asthma and their parents were prospectively recruited to the study. A questionnaire including demographic features such as age, gender, asthma medications and questions about COVID-19 prepared according to a 5-point Likert scale was conducted to the parents. Children completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories for Children (STAI-C) scales, and childhood asthma control test(c-ACT). Parents also fulfilled STAI scales. Result(s): The mean age of the patients was 9.5+/-1.2 years, the median follow-up period for asthma (C-ACT) was 36 (21-66) months, and 45 (67.2%) were male. Most of the children were using their asthma medication regularly. Children's STAI-C state and trait anxiety scores showed a statistically significant positive correlation with parents' STAI state and trait anxiety scores. The anxiety levels of parents who thought that they would get the disease and that there would be no effective treatment and vaccine against COVID-19 were found to be higher. Conclusion(s): During the pandemic period, regular asthma follow-up and drug compliance are very important controlling asthma symptoms in children. Considering the effects of the pandemic in children with asthma, psychosocial evaluations during outpatient controls may have positive effects on children's mental health and disease control.Copyright © 2021 Ankara Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: We aimed to evaluate asthma control status, drug compliance and anxiety levels of children and their parents who were followed up with the diagnosis of asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: Sixty-seven children aged between 8-12 years diagnosed with asthma and their parents were prospectively recruited to the study. A questionnaire including demographic features such as age, gender, asthma medications and questions about COVID-19 prepared according to a 5-point Likert scale was conducted to the parents. Children completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories for Children (STAI-C) scales, and childhood asthma control test(c-ACT). Parents also fulfilled STAI scales. Results: The mean age of the patients was 9.5±1.2 years, the median follow-up period for asthma (C-ACT) was 36 (21-66) months, and 45 (67.2%) were male. Most of the children were using their asthma medication regularly. Children's STAI-C state and trait anxiety scores showed a statistically significant positive correlation with parents' STAI state and trait anxiety scores. The anxiety levels of parents who thought that they would get the disease and that there would be no effective treatment and vaccine against COVID-19 were found to be higher. Conclusion: During the pandemic period, regular asthma follow-up and drug compliance are very important controlling asthma symptoms in children. Considering the effects of the pandemic in children with asthma, psychosocial evaluations during outpatient controls may have positive effects on children's mental health and disease control.
ABSTRACT
Objective: This study aimed to investigate behavioral, emotional problems and fatigue in adolescents after COVID-19 infection. Also, we examined relationships between baseline inflammation levels, fatigue, and the current behavioral and emotional problems of adolescents. Material(s) and Method(s): A total of 110 adolescents (56 boys, 50.9%, mean age 14.72 years) and their parents were included in the study. Psychiatric assessments of the adolescents were performed 7.31+/-2.35 months after discharge from hospital. Behavioral and emotional problems was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 6-18 parent-rated questionnaire. Result(s): We collected baseline inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). The proportions of adolescents that were in the clinical range in at least one behavioral and emotional domain were as follows: 44.5% in the entire sample, 35.7% in boys, and 53.7% in girls. Thought problems were the most common problems in the entire sample (25.5%). The rates of internalizing and externalizing symptoms were 33.6% and 16.4%, respectively. Somatic and attention symptoms were more frequent in females than in males. Inflammatory marker levels did not correlate with behavioral and emotional scores. Fatigue symptoms were determined in 36.4% of all adolescents. We found that somatic and attention problems are more common in fatigued adolescents. Conclusion(s): Our findings demonstrated that screening for behavioral, emotional problems, and fatigue in adolescents with COVID-19 infection is necessary. Future studies with a follow-up design are needed to determine whether a relationship exists between behavioral, emotional problems and baseline inflammation levels after COVID-19 infection. Copyright © 2022 Ankara Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: We aimed to evaluate asthma control status, drug compliance and anxiety levels of children and their parents who were followed up with the diagnosis of asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): Sixty-seven children aged between 8-12 years diagnosed with asthma and their parents were prospectively recruited to the study. A questionnaire including demographic features such as age, gender, asthma medications and questions about COVID-19 prepared according to a 5-point Likert scale was conducted to the parents. Children completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories for Children (STAI-C) scales, and childhood asthma control test(c-ACT). Parents also fulfilled STAI scales. Result(s): The mean age of the patients was 9.5+/-1.2 years, the median follow-up period for asthma (C-ACT) was 36 (21-66) months, and 45 (67.2%) were male. Most of the children were using their asthma medication regularly. Children's STAI-C state and trait anxiety scores showed a statistically significant positive correlation with parents' STAI state and trait anxiety scores. The anxiety levels of parents who thought that they would get the disease and that there would be no effective treatment and vaccine against COVID-19 were found to be higher. Conclusion(s): During the pandemic period, regular asthma follow-up and drug compliance are very important controlling asthma symptoms in children. Considering the effects of the pandemic in children with asthma, psychosocial evaluations during outpatient controls may have positive effects on children's mental health and disease control. Copyright © 2021 Ankara Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital. All rights reserved.