Initial validation of a scale to measure the burden for parents/caregivers of children with asthma and factors associated with this burden in a population of asthmatic children

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the high probability of a heavy burden for parents and/or caregivers of children with asthma, instruments intended to measure it have not been validated in the context of asthma. Moreover, factors associated with this burden are unknown.

Objective: To begin the validation of a scale to measure the burden for parents/caregivers of asthmatic children, and to determine the factors associated with this burden.

Materials and methods: We performed an analytical cross-sectional and validation of scale study. At the outpatient section of the Clinic of Pediatric Pulmonology in the Hospital Universitario Clinica San Rafael, we measured the burden of parents and/or caregivers of children with asthma using a shortened version of the Zarit scale throughout 2011. We performed a principal components factor analysis and adjusted logistic regression models to identify independent factors associated with a heavy burden.

Results. The median (interquartile range) age of the 162 children included in the study was 6 (4-9) years. Out of the total of parents and/or caregivers, 37 (22.8%) were experiencing a heavy burden. Factor analysis of the Zarit scale showed a probable structure of two factors, which together accountedfor 61.5% of the variance of the results. Uncontrolled asthma was the only predictor independently associated with a heavy burden in the multivariate analysis (OR 5.38; 95% CI 1.43-20.16, p = 0.012).

Conclusions. The Zarit scale used has an adequate factorial structure, an acceptable internal consistency, and an adequate construct validity for measuring the burden for parents and/or caregivers of children with asthma. The level of a child’s asthma control is the most important independent predictor of this burden.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v33i3.813