Exploring the health-related quality of life among children with moderate asthma.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases, impacting more than 10 % of children in Taiwan. The recurrent signs and symptoms and complexity of disease management impact the life quality of children with asthma. The purpose of this study was to describe the content and dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among children with moderate asthma by descriptive qualitative research based on in-depth interviews. Eleven children, aged 6-12 years, and their mothers from two medical centers in central Taiwan were interviewed and tape recorded. The transcripts were analyzed using content analysis. Six themes relevant to the children's QOL with asthma were identified: 1. physical disturbances of signs/symptoms, 2. limitations of activity, 3. emotional distress, 4. discord in parent-child relationships, 5. restrictions in school social life and 6. daily inconvenience of managing the disease. These findings highlight the ways in which the overall quality of life of children is impacted by asthma including the physiological and psychosocial domains. The breadth of these findings may lead to greater insights into the nursing care of children with asthma.