Asthma's Toll on Parents

PHOP Researchers' Study of Stress in Parents of Asthmatic Children Among Finalists at ISPOR European Congress

A study by UH College of Pharmacy Professor Sujit Sansgiry, Ph.D., and August 2016 Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy graduate Yasser Almogbel, Ph.D., M.S., now serving as vice dean at Qassim University in Saudi Arabia, was among the presentation award finalists at a recent research conference in Vienna, Austria. 

Their project, "The Association Between Parenting Stress and the Child’s Quality of Life Among Parents of Asthmatic Children," was presented at the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 19th Annual European Congress Oct. 29-Nov. 2. 

The researchers surveyed parents of children diagnosed with asthma from 19 Houston-area asthma/pediatric clinics to determine their self-reported stress in relation to several factors, including relationship with perceived quality of life of the child, relationship with healthcare provider and health literacy about the disease. 

"Our results indicated an association between reported parenting stress and a negative relationship with the child's healthcare provider, while also having a high degree of health literacy," Sansgiry said. "In other words, parents who were educated about the disease and felt it impaired the quality of life, but were for some reason dissatisfied with their child's care were more likely to report feeling stressed. As long-term stress has implications not only for the child-parent relationship, but also the overall health of both the child and parent.

"It would be beneficial for healthcare providers to take steps to identify and address parental stress as part of an overall treatment plan for parents of asthmatic children."