Predictors of Quality of Life in Patients with Asthma in Ahvaz, Iran

Asthma impacts the quality of life (QOL) of patients and their families. The magnitude of this morbidity is influenced by several factors, including age, disease duration, and others. This study was conducted to determine the predictors of quality of life in patients with asthma in Ahvaz, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients referred to the pulmonary clinics of Imam Khomeini and Golestan hospitals in Ahvaz in 2022. The quality of life was assessed using the SF-36v2 questionnaire. The effect of socio-demographic characteristics on quality-of-life scores was examined by t-test, one-way variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation coefficient, and regression models.

From a total of 204 studied asthmatic patients, the average age of patients was 43.22±15.17 years. The average QOL in patients was 57.69±22.97. Physical role and social functioning had the lowest and highest mean scores among SF-36 dimensions, respectively. A significant difference was observed between the average QOL score and the variables of age, gender, education level, employment status, illness costs, illness severity, daily exercise, and number of visits (P<0.05). Most clinical, socio-demographic, and economic variables were predictors of SF-36, PCS, MCS, and QOL dimensions (P<0.05).

This study showed that the quality of life in asthmatic patients is affected by the severity of the disease, number of visits, age, sex, and education. By performing appropriate interventions on social and economic factors, the quality of life of asthmatic patients can be improved.