Does Socioeconomic Status Affect Mental Well-being Among Children with Asthma in Kosovo?

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Valbona Zhjeqi, Michael Kundi, Mimoza Shahini, Halil Ahmetaj, Luljeta Ahmetaj, Shaip Krasniqi

 
International Journal of Biomedicine. 2023;13(2):286-291.
DOI: 10.21103/Article13(2)_OA16
Originally published June 5, 2023

Abstract: 

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mental well-being – as assessed by the SDQ among children with asthma in Kosovo and SES.
Methods and Results: For this cross-sectional observational study, data were collected from five regions of Kosovo, public and private institutions, public hospitals and primary healthcare facilities in each area, a tertiary level hospital, and two private immunology clinics in the capital city. The survey included 161 Kosovar children (mean age of 11.1±2.7 years) with asthma, aged 7-16 years, and their caregivers. The survey questionnaires used were those of the American Academy of Pediatrics: The Children's Health Survey for Asthma (CHSA), the parent and child version (CHSA-C), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
SDQ showed conspicuous (borderline or abnormal) results in 25.1% of children.  None of the scales of the SDQ, except prosocial behavior, showed statistically significant differences across SES categories. Prosocial behavior scores increased significantly with increasing SES.
Conclusion: Children with asthma from lower SES families in Kosovo have more social contact problems but do not show reduced mental well-being nor more conduct problems.

Keywords: 
children • asthma • strengths and difficulties • socioeconomic status • Kosovo
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Received February 16, 2023.
Accepted March 17, 2023.
©2023 International Medical Research and Development Corporation.