Asthma, social skills and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess social skills and behavioral disorders in children with asthma. Participants included 62 children/adolescents (between 7 and 16 years of age) with moderate and severe asthma and a control group whose parents completed the Brazilian version of the Child Behavior Checklist. Results: There is evidence of an association between asthma and deficiencies in overall social skills related to activities (p=0.001) and school (p=0.01). The severity of the asthma has no clear link to social skills. There is evidence of an association between behavioral disorders and asthma, especially internalizing disorders, such as anxiety and depression, irrespective of sex, age and severity of asthma. Children/adolescents with asthma had more problems with general social skills and skills associated with activities and school, when compared to the control group. They also had more general and internalizing disorders, which may impair their progress, quality of life and the satisfactory management of the illness.

Asthma; Social behavior; Child; Chronic illness; Behavior disorders