[Measuring the quality of life of children and adolescents with asthma--The Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire].

Quality of life becomes more and more important in evaluating the effects of treatments. At the moment, different questionnaires to measure quality of life in children and adolescents with asthma are available. The Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQL) was developed by Juniper and co-workers in Canada and has already been translated into German. It is a self- or interviewer-administered instrument for children and adolescents between age 7 and 17. The PAQL contains 23 items in three domains: activity limitation, symptoms, and emotional function. The empirical results suggest that the PAQL is reliable and sensitive to clinical change. Problems associated with the administration are discussed.