Contribution of caregiver and child anxiety and depressive symptoms to child asthma-related quality of life

Do Young Gwak; Juliann C Tea; Fariya N Fatima; Jayme M Palka; Heather Lehman; David A Khan; Hannah Zhou; Beatrice L Wood; Bruce D Miller; E Sherwood Brown

doi:10.1016/j.anai.2024.02.026

Contribution of caregiver and child anxiety and depressive symptoms to child asthma-related quality of life

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2024 Mar 6:S1081-1206(24)00141-8. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.02.026. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
² Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. Electronic address: Sherwood.brown@UTSouthwestern.edu.

PMID: 38458318
DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.02.026

Abstract

Background: Depression and anxiety negatively affect asthma-related quality of life (QoL). Yet, little is known regarding mood and asthma-related factors that best uniquely explain asthma-related QoL in children.

Objective: This cross-sectional study evaluated the unique variance explained by caregiver and child depressive and anxiety symptom severity in child asthma-related QoL, apart from that explained by demographics and asthma control.

Methods: Children aged 7 to 17 years with asthma (n = 205) and their caregivers with major depressive disorder were included. A 3-stage hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted with the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire total scores considered as the outcome. Predictors included demographic characteristics (stage 1); asthma control assessed by the Asthma Control Test (stage 2); and caregiver depression and anxiety (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Spielberger State/Trait Anxiety Scale) and child depression and anxiety (Children's Depression Inventory and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Disorders) (stage 3).

Results: Demographic characteristics accounted for only 5.5% of the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores. Asthma control significantly increased variance explained in QoL to 32.6%, whereas caregiver and child depression and anxiety symptoms significantly increased variance explained to 42.6%. Child anxiety was found to uniquely explain the largest proportion of variance in QoL (r_s² = 0.584).

Conclusion: After adjusting variance in QoL for demographic characteristics and asthma control, caregiver and child depression and anxiety measures significantly increased the proportion of variance explained in a child's asthma-related QoL. In addition to better asthma control, child and caregiver depression and anxiety should be addressed to increase child asthma-related QoL.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02809677.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02809677