Evaluation of asthma control and quality of life in overweight or obese patients with asthma

Introduction: Obesity is a disease with an increasing prevalence both in our country and around the world. It has been shown in many studies that obesity has an effect on the formation and control of asthma. In this study, evaluation of asthma control and life quality in overweight or obese patients with asthma has been aimed. Material and Method: In this study, one hundred patients, willingly participating, differing between the ages of 18 and 65 who applied to Mehmet Tanju Saka and Keçiören Şevkat No. 1 Family Health Centers in central Ankara between November 2020-January 2021, also who were previously diagnosed with asthma were included in the study. Fifty of the participants were healthy in terms of weight. The rest of the participants were slightly overweight or obese. Sociodemographic characteristics and some health status-related characteristics of the participants in the study were obtained by face-to-face interview method using a questionnaire form. Physical activity status was evaluated with a primary care physical activity questionnaire. The life quality was evaluated with an SF-36, and the asthma control status has been evaluated with the Asthma Control Test. for statistical analysis SPSS for Windows 20 was used. Significance level was accepted as p <0,05. Results: The average age of the participants included in the study was detected as 45,6 ± 12,8 years. The average score of the asthma control test of the participants was found to be 18,8 ± 4,9, therefore was deemed to be poorly controlled. It has been found that individuals who were overweight or obese had worse asthma control than the normal group (p = 0,045). In the sub-parameters of pain (p = 0,024), social functionality (p = 0,030) and general health perception (p = 0,034) in the life quality scale, the scores of the normal weight group were significantly higher than the scores of the obese/overweight group. Discussion and Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that being overweight or obese negatively affected the asthma control and life quality of patient's. The asthma control test is a disease control test that can be easily performed in primary care. For patients who are not under control, these inquiries should be made. As a first step, possible treatments can be added to the pharmacological treatment and, the recommendations should be given. In cases where control cannot be achieved, the patients must be transferred to secondary or tertiary health institutions. Keywords: Asthma, Obesity, Overweight, Life Quality, Asthma Control, Physical activity