What is the burden of chronic cough for families?

Background: The burden of children's chronic cough to parents is largely unknown. The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to determine the burden of chronic cough using a purposely designed questionnaire, and (2) to evaluate psychological (child's anxiety and parental emotional distress) and other influences on the reported burden of cough.

Methods: Parents of children newly referred for chronic cough completed three questionnaires (Spence anxiety scale; depression, anxiety, and stress 21-item scale [DASS]; and burden of cough questionnaire) at enrollment.