Allergic rhinitis quality of life in urban children with asthma

Abstract

Background: Urban children with asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) are at risk for experiencing worse AR-related quality of life (QOL). Although AR may be underdiagnosed and undertreated in urban minority children, research has not considered which illness-related indicators (eg, AR control) may contribute to AR QOL in this population.

Objective: To examine associations among AR control, asthma control, allergy symptoms, asthma symptoms, and AR QOL in a sample of 195 urban caregivers and their children with asthma (7-9 years of age) from African American, Latino, and non-Latino white backgrounds. Racial and ethnic differences in AR QOL were also examined.

Methods: Families resided in 1 of 4 cities selected as recruitment sources because of their high concentrations of ethnic minority and non-Latino white, urban families. Caregivers and children completed a series of interview-based and clinician-based assessments across one academic year and 4-week periods to track daily asthma and nasal symptoms.

Results: Better AR control was associated with higher AR QOL (β = -.32, P < .01) and all QOL subscales. AR control predicted AR QOL over and above asthma control (β = -.28, P < .01). Controlling for AR control, non-Latino white children reported better QOL related to practical problems than both Latino and African American children (P < .05).

Conclusion: Findings suggest that strategies to enhance AR control in urban children with asthma may assist in improving AR QOL. Non-Latino white children may experience less impairment of their AR QOL because of practical problems (eg, blow nose) than African American or Latino children with asthma.