Objective: The current study investigated whether factors associated with quality of life (QOL) in children with asthma (e.g., family functioning, asthma routines, asthma severity) differed by child age.
Methods: Participants included 192 children with asthma (5-12 years) and their caregivers. Both children and caregivers completed questionnaires at an initial research session. Family functioning was determined from a mealtime observation that occurred in family homes.
Results: Child age moderated the association between asthma severity and child QOL and between routine burden and QOL in children with asthma. Post hoc probing analyses revealed that among older children, QOL levels were lower in the presence of worse asthma severity and more routine burden.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that associations between asthma severity, routine burden, and QOL may differ by child age. Treatment programs and health-care recommendations addressing QOL in children with asthma may need to be tailored to address differences in factors associated with QOL by child age.
Keywords: asthma; family functioning; quality of life.
© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].