Assessment of quality of life in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis with the French version of the SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire

Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, August 1994

The following abstract also considers:
Quality of life in asthma: internal consistency & validity of the SF-36 Questionnaire (American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, 1994)

The Studies and Their Purpose

• A cross-sectional study in patients with moderate to severe perennial allergic rhinitis compared with healthy subjects, and a second study with asthma patients with variable severity—both done to assess the reliability and validity of general quality of life (QOL) scale and its use in determining QOL.

• Both studies included the SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire as the QOL measure. It is based on 36 items selected to represent nine health concepts (physical, social, and role functioning; mental health; health perceptions; energy/fatigue; pain; and general health).

Summary of Results/Conclusions

• Both studies indicate that QOL scores (SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire) were valid and reliable as well as reproducible and can be used to determine to what extent the diseases impair physical, emotional, and social life.

• The results showed significant and statistically relevant social life and work function impairment in patients with both asthma and perennial allergic rhinitis when compared with healthy subjects. Note: Chronic rhinitis patients reported lower QOL scores than asthmatics in some categories.

• QOL was reduced with the severity of the disease or when symptoms were not adequately controlled.

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