Evaluation of Asthma Control Status and Anxiety Level During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Children with Asthma

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to evaluate asthma control status, drug compliance and anxiety levels of children and their parents who were followed up with the diagnosis of asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and Methods: Sixty-seven children aged between 8-12 years diagnosed with asthma and their parents were prospectively recruited to the study. A questionnaire including demographic features such as age, gender, asthma  medications and questions about COVID-19 prepared according to a 5-point Likert scale was conducted to the parents. Children completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories for Children (STAI-C) scales, and childhood asthma control test(c-ACT). Parents also fulfilled STAI scales.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 9.5±1.2 years, the median follow-up period for asthma (C-ACT) was 36 (21-66) months, and 45 (67.2%) were male. Most of the children were using their asthma medication regularly. Children’s STAI-C state and trait anxiety scores showed a statistically significant positive correlation with parents’ STAI state and trait anxiety scores. The anxiety levels of parents who thought that they would get the disease and that there would be no effective treatment and vaccine against COVID-19 were found to be higher.

Conclusion: During the pandemic period, regular asthma follow-up and drug compliance are very important controlling asthma symptoms in children. Considering the effects of the pandemic in children with asthma, psychosocial evaluations during outpatient controls may have positive effects on children’s mental health and disease control.

Astımlı Çocuklarda COVİD-19 Pandemisi Döneminde Astım Kontrolü ve Anksiyete Düzeyinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmamızda astımlı çocuklarda ve ailelerinde yeni tip coronavirüs hastalığı (COVID-19) döneminde astım kontrol durumları, ilaç uyumları ve kaygı düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır.

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmaya en az altı aydır astım tanısıyla izlenen 8-12 yaş arası 67 çocuk ve ebeveynleri dahil edilmiştir. Ebeveynlere yaş, cinsiyet, astım ilaçları gibi demografik özellikleri ve 5’li Likert ölçeğine göre hazırlanmış COVID-19 ile ilgili soruları içeren anket yapılmıştır. Ayrıca çocukluk çağı astım kontrol anketi (AKT) ve kaygı düzeyini değerlendirmek için çocuklara Çocuklar İçin Durumluk-Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri (Ç-DSKE), ebeveynlere de Erişkinler için Durumluk-Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri (DSKE) uygulanmıştır.

Bulgular: Hastaların ortalama yaşı 9.5±1.2 yıl, astım takip süresi ortancası (çeyrekler arası aralık) 36 (21-66) aydı ve 45’i (%67.2) erkekti. Çocukların çoğu astım ilaçlarını düzenli kullanıyordu. Çocukların Ç-DSKE durumluk ve sürekli kaygı puanları, ebeveynlerin DSKE durumluk ve süreklik kaygı puanlarıyla istatistiksel olarak anlamlı pozitif yönde korelasyon gösteriyordu. Hastalığı geçireceğini, COVID-19’a karşı etkili tedavi ve aşı bulunamayacağını düşünen ebeveynlerin kaygı düzeyleri daha yüksek bulundu. Çocukların cinsiyeti, astım takip süreleri, astım kontrol durumları, düzenli takibe gelme ve astım ilacını düzenli kullanmasına göre gruplandırılarak karşılaştırıldığında yine çocuk Ç-DSKE ve ebeveynlerin DSKE skorları arasında fark yoktu.

Sonuç: Pandemi döneminde düzenli kontrol ve ilaç uyumu çocuklarda astım semptomlarının kontrol altına alınmasında son derece önemlidir. Astımlı çocuklarda pandeminin etkileri de göz önünde bulundurularak poliklinik kontrolleri sırasında psikososyal değerlendirilmelerinin yapılması çocukların ruh sağlığı ve hastalık kontrolü üzerinde olumlu etkileri olabilir.

Keywords

• astım
• COVID-19
• çocuk
• kaygı
• pandemi

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