Most parents become overly anxious when their kids are affected by asthma, which may impair their ability to manage the asthma effectively.
A high level of disease-related anxiety among adults with asthma has been associated with an overreaction to asthma symptoms and overuse of medication. To assess asthma-related anxiety among pediatric patients and their parents, a team of researchers from New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, NYU, and LaSalle University (Philadelphia, PA) developed and validated a survey tool.
Jean-Marie Bruzzese, PhD, Lynne Unikel, PhD, Patrick Shrout, PhD, and Rachel Klein, PhD, tested their Youth Asthma-related Anxiety Scale (YAAS) and Parent Asthma-related Anxiety Scale (PAAS) on a population of adolescents and their parents. The results highlight two key factors—anxiety about asthma severity and about disease-related restrictions—that are good indicators of overall asthma-related anxiety. The authors describe the design and utility of the YAAS and PAAS in the article, "Youth and Parent Versions of the Asthma-related Anxiety Scale: Development and Initial Testing."
"This will be a valuable tool for asthma researchers," says Harold Farber, MD, MSPH, Editor of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Pulmonology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. "Now that we have validated measures for asthma-related anxiety in children and their parents, future research will be able to measure the impact of asthma-related anxiety on asthma outcomes. This will help us better understand how to deliver the best asthma care for our children."
Anxiety Screening Test
Are you anxious to know your anxiety level? Use Medindia’s Anxiety Screening Test, a simple online screening test for anxiety symptoms.
Are you anxious to know your anxiety level? Use Medindia’s Anxiety Screening Test, a simple online screening test for anxiety symptoms.
Quiz on Asthma
Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways become narrow and swollen and may produce extra mucus. This can lead to breathing difficulties and trigger coughing...
Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways become narrow and swollen and may produce extra mucus. This can lead to breathing difficulties and trigger coughing...
