Pediatric asthma control and quality of life questionnaires

The assessment of symptoms and quality of life are important aspects in the control of childhood asthma. Questionnaires regarding symptoms control and quality of life give valuable information about the disease from the perspective of the child and his family. The aim of this study is to discuss the most important characteristics of this type of questionnaire such as age range, language of validation, number of questions, administration mode, the evaluated period and fields, and the minimum clinically relevant difference. The ACT questionnaires, for children older than 11 years of age, and CAN questionnaires, for children between 2 and 14 years of age in their Spanish versions, are suitable for measuring asthma control in our country. Regarding quality of life, PAQLQ for children between 7 and 17 years of age and PACQLQ for their care givers are the most popular oversees; Spanish versions have been adapted for Chile.