Health-related quality of life as associated with asthma control, psychological status and insomnia.

Background: Asthma is associated not only with lower health-related quality of life (HRQL) but also with psychological health and insomnia. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between HRQL, asthma symptoms, psychological status and insomnia in adults from three Nordic countries.

Methods: This study comprised 2,270 subjects aged 29-55 from Sweden, Iceland and Norway.

Subjects with well-controlled asthma have similar health-related quality of life as subjects without asthma.

Background: The burden of asthma and rhinitis on health-related quality of life (HRQL) among adults has been assessed mainly in studies of patients seeking health-care, while population-based studies are relatively scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate HRQL among subjects with asthma and rhinitis derived from a random population sample and to identify factors related to impairment of HRQL.

Methods: A randomly selected cohort was invited to participate in a postal questionnaire survey.

Impact of anxiety and depression on respiratory symptoms.

Psychological factors such as anxiety and depression are prevalent in patients with asthma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between respiratory symptoms and psychological status and to estimate the importance of psychological status in comparison with other factors that are known to be associated with respiratory symptoms. This study included 2270 subjects aged 20-44 (52% female) from Sweden, Iceland, and Norway.

Determinants for a low health-related quality of life in asthmatics.

People with asthma suffer from impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL), but the determinants of HRQL among asthmatics are not completely understood. The aim of this investigation was to study determinants of low HRQL in asthmatics and to study whether the determinants of HRQL differ between sexes and age groups. A cohort of three age groups in Sweden was investigated in 1990 using a questionnaire with focus on respiratory symptoms.

Associations between mortality, asthma, and health-related quality of life in an elderly cohort of Swedes.

Background: Asthma is a common chronic health condition among the elderly and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Some studies show that subjective assessments of health-related quality of life (HRQL) are important predictors of mortality and survival. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether low HRQL was a predictor of mortality in elderly subjects and whether such an association differed between subjects with and without asthma.

High BMI is related to higher incidence of asthma, while a fish and fruit diet is related to a lower- Results from a long-term follow-up study of three age groups in Sweden.

The causes of the worldwide increase in asthma seen during the last decades remain largely unexplained, but lifestyle and diet are suggested to play important roles. In this follow up of a large-scale population sample in Sweden, we wanted to identify modifiable risk factors for the cumulative incidence over a 13-year follow-up period. In 1990, a self-administered questionnaire was completed by 12,560 individuals from three age groups (16, 30-39 and 60-69 years of age) in two counties of Sweden.

Non-respiratory symptoms and well-being in asthmatics from a general population sample.

Background: Different instruments have been developed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in asthma patients. However, relatively few studies have assessed HRQL in asthma patients from a general population, and it is still unclear which instrument is most suitable. The purpose of this study was to compare HRQL in clinically verified asthmatics with subjects with respiratory symptoms without asthma and with subjects with no respiratory symptoms from a general population.

Health-related quality of life predicts onset of asthma in a longitudinal population study.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) has been increasingly used as an outcome measure in asthma, but less is known about the prognostic implication of low health-related quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate if a set of quality of life measures could predict onset of asthma.

Methods: In the baseline study 391 subjects without asthma answered a respiratory questionnaire and the Gothenburg Quality of Life (GQL) instrument in 1990.