The Reliability And Validity Of The Turkish Version Of The Asthma Quality Of Life Questionnaire And Structural Equation Modeling Of The Quality Of Life Of Asthma Patients

The objective of this study is twofold: (1) to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) in a Turkish population and (2) to determine the factors affecting the quality of life of asthma patients. The study sample comprised 387 asthma patients. The quality of life of patients was measured with the AQLQ. The results of the analysis show that AQLQ is a reliable and valid measurement tool for assessing the quality of life of asthmatic patients. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine how patients\u27 Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) was influenced by predisposing, enabling, need and health-services-use factors. The SEM analysis showed that the predictors explained 87% of the variance in the quality of life of asthma patients. Self-reported severity, pulmonary function tests (FEV1) and taking oral steroids for asthma had statistically significant effects on the HRQOL of the patients under study. The results of this study suggest that the AQLQ is a useful outcome measurement tool for clinical trials conducted in Turkey. © 2008, Inderscience Publishers