Comparison of Quality of Life of Adult Asthma and Non-Asthma Patients in A Tertiary Health Facility in North-western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of asthma among Nigerian adolescents and adults is high, and low- and middle-income countries account for most asthma-related complications. Health related quality of life (HQoL) is an indicator of intervention outcomes and a predictor of morbidity and mortality. The study assessed and compared the components of HQoL of asthma and non-asthma outpatients in a tertiary hospital.

Method: The study was a comparative cross-sectional study conducted among adult asthma and non-asthma patients attending outpatient clinics in a tertiary hospital in north-western Nigeria. A total of 150 asthma patients and equal number of non-asthma patients matched by age and sex were enrolled. Data was collected from both groups using a questionnaire adapted from the WHOQOL-BREF developed by the World Health Organization, and analyzed based on the scoring instructions for the tool.The statistical significance of differences between asthma and non-asthma patients were assessed using Chi-square test in thecase of socio-demographic characteristics and self-rated domains of HQoL, and t-test in thecaseof physical health,psychological health, social relationships and environmentdomains of HQoL, all at P<0.05.

Results: Fewer asthma patients than non-asthma patients had good self-rated HQoL (68.7% vs. 94.6%; P<0.0001) and satisfaction with their own health (59.3% vs. 84.0%; P<0.0001). Also, asthma patients had worse mean scores for physical health (12.6 vs 14.7; P<0.0001) and psychological health (13.8 vs 15.3, P<0.0001). However, social relationships (14.4 vs 14.6; P=0.727) and environmental domain (13.0 vs 13.4; P=0.942) were not different between the two groups.

Conclusion: The study reports possible lower HQoL among asthma patients attending clinics in the tertiary hospital studied. It is recommended that routine care of asthma outpatients should be holistic, including psychosocial support.