[The influence of anxiety and depression on asthma control in Ecuadorian patients. A pilot study]

The level of asthma control in Latin American countries is still poor and it does not reach the objectives that have been established by international guidelines. The reasons why this occurs are still unknown.

To explore the frequency of anxiety and depression in patients with asthma and its possible associations with the control of this disease.

A cross-sectional study in asthmatic patients from Guayaquil-Ecuador. A chi-squared test was applied in order to assess the associations between the presence of anxiety and depression and the demographic variables. The correlation between the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was assessed by applying Kendall´s Tau-b test.

Of all 73 patients, 55 (80.9%) were women and 50 (69.4%) had a low educational level; 49 (67.1%) patients had uncontrolled asthma (p=.005). Few patients presented anxiety (2.7%) and depression (1.4%) symptoms (p=.000). The factors that were associated with the highest rate of anxiety and depression were: the age of 60 and younger, female sex, and uncontrolled asthma. There wasn't any significant correlation between asthma control and anxiety or depression scores.

Numerous asthmatic patients don't have proper control of their disease, and anxiety or depression disorders seem to have only minor effects on the control of the illness.