Effect of Bronchial Asthma on Quality of Life among Patients Attending Family Medicine Clinics in Saudi Arabia, MANA M. AL-SHAHRANI, SALEH O. BAJAHLAN, ZIAD N. AL-JAZI, SULTAN M. AL-AHMARI, HANI S. AL-SHEHRI, MOUSA M. HADI, SALMAN A. AL-OTIFI and AHMED ABOU ELYAZID
Abstract
Objectives: To assess the effect of bronchial asthma on Quality of the Life (QOL) of patients.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted on 380 bronchial asthma patients January and June 2016 at the Chronic Diseases Clinic in Ahad Rufaidah Family Medicine Center and the Asthma Clinic at the Armed Forces Hospital, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia. Using a self-administrated questionnaire.
Results: Of 380 patients (males 45.3% and females 54.7%) there were low mean scores for all QOL domains. No signif-icant relation between age groups and QOL domains in bron-chial asthma patients. Female, non-married and those living in urban areas had lower QOL scores. The higher frequency of occurrence of bronchial asthma attacks was associated with lower QOL scores.
Conclusions: QOL of bronchial asthma patients is low. QOL is more affected among females, non-married patients living in rural areas, and those with more frequency of asth-matic attacks. Therefore, physicians should routinely assess QOL among their asthmatic patients. Limitations in patients' quality of life, indicate that asthma is not well controlled.