Anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspective
Abstract Background Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease that affects millions of Canadians and often contributes to higher levels of anxiety among patients. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a time of increased anxiety and fear among the Canadian population, it w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-023-00833-z |
| _version_ | 1797452218344931328 |
|---|---|
| author | Sophia Linton Kayley Xu Lubnaa Hossenbaccus Hannah Botting Sarah Garvey Adam Sunavsky Lisa M. Steacy Dean A. Tripp Anne K. Ellis |
| author_facet | Sophia Linton Kayley Xu Lubnaa Hossenbaccus Hannah Botting Sarah Garvey Adam Sunavsky Lisa M. Steacy Dean A. Tripp Anne K. Ellis |
| author_sort | Sophia Linton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease that affects millions of Canadians and often contributes to higher levels of anxiety among patients. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a time of increased anxiety and fear among the Canadian population, it was thought that those with asthma may experience heightened anxiety levels due to uncertain access to care, the potential to misinterpret asthma symptoms for symptoms of COVID-19 (or vice versa), and the concern about being treated differently by those around them when experiencing asthma symptoms. Therefore, this study sought to perform a cross-sectional analysis of the asthma-anxiety relationship in adults with and without asthma in the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic from a Canadian perspective. Methods This study employed the COVID-19 Associated Anxiety in Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma patients Experiencing Symptoms (CAAARES) survey, consisting of COVID-19-specific questions, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 (GAD-7) and the Asthma Control Questionnaire-6 (ACQ-6). Data collection occurred through the Qualtrics XM platform and data analyses were conducted with the IBM SPSS Statistics 28 software. Results A total of 741 valid responses were collected (asthma group, n = 244; control group, n = 497). 31.6% and 26.2% of respondents in the asthma and control groups, respectively, met the diagnostic criteria for GAD. There was no significant difference (p = .067) in mean GAD-7 scores between the two groups. A Hierarchal Multiple Regression (HMR) model was developed, and neither asthma status nor ACQ-6 score had a significant predictive effect on the GAD-7 score. There was a statistically significant (p < .001) weak positive correlation (r = .22) between GAD-7 and ACQ-6 scores. In a simple mediation (SMM) model, perceived COVID-19 stress of others was not identified as a significant mediator of the relationship between ACQ-6 and GAD-7 (indirect effect β = 0.014). Conclusion Our study of a Canadian cohort demonstrates elevated levels of anxiety overall, amongst both asthma and control groups. While AR status was significantly greater in the asthma group, it was not a significant predictive variable of GAD-7 score. Our data suggests that COVID-19-specific factors appear to have a greater contribution to anxiety than asthma status or control. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:05:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1b85d3bb85af45fea2c3836916aa9406 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1710-1492 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:05:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-1b85d3bb85af45fea2c3836916aa94062023-11-26T13:38:59ZengBMCAllergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology1710-14922023-08-0119111010.1186/s13223-023-00833-zAnxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspectiveSophia Linton0Kayley Xu1Lubnaa Hossenbaccus2Hannah Botting3Sarah Garvey4Adam Sunavsky5Lisa M. Steacy6Dean A. Tripp7Anne K. Ellis8Department of Medicine, Queen’s UniversityDepartment of Medicine, Queen’s UniversityDepartment of Medicine, Queen’s UniversityKingston General Health Research Institute-Allergy Research UnitKingston General Health Research Institute-Allergy Research UnitDepartment of Medicine, University of British ColumbiaKingston General Health Research Institute-Allergy Research UnitDepartment of Medicine, Queen’s UniversityDepartment of Medicine, Queen’s UniversityAbstract Background Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease that affects millions of Canadians and often contributes to higher levels of anxiety among patients. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a time of increased anxiety and fear among the Canadian population, it was thought that those with asthma may experience heightened anxiety levels due to uncertain access to care, the potential to misinterpret asthma symptoms for symptoms of COVID-19 (or vice versa), and the concern about being treated differently by those around them when experiencing asthma symptoms. Therefore, this study sought to perform a cross-sectional analysis of the asthma-anxiety relationship in adults with and without asthma in the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic from a Canadian perspective. Methods This study employed the COVID-19 Associated Anxiety in Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma patients Experiencing Symptoms (CAAARES) survey, consisting of COVID-19-specific questions, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 (GAD-7) and the Asthma Control Questionnaire-6 (ACQ-6). Data collection occurred through the Qualtrics XM platform and data analyses were conducted with the IBM SPSS Statistics 28 software. Results A total of 741 valid responses were collected (asthma group, n = 244; control group, n = 497). 31.6% and 26.2% of respondents in the asthma and control groups, respectively, met the diagnostic criteria for GAD. There was no significant difference (p = .067) in mean GAD-7 scores between the two groups. A Hierarchal Multiple Regression (HMR) model was developed, and neither asthma status nor ACQ-6 score had a significant predictive effect on the GAD-7 score. There was a statistically significant (p < .001) weak positive correlation (r = .22) between GAD-7 and ACQ-6 scores. In a simple mediation (SMM) model, perceived COVID-19 stress of others was not identified as a significant mediator of the relationship between ACQ-6 and GAD-7 (indirect effect β = 0.014). Conclusion Our study of a Canadian cohort demonstrates elevated levels of anxiety overall, amongst both asthma and control groups. While AR status was significantly greater in the asthma group, it was not a significant predictive variable of GAD-7 score. Our data suggests that COVID-19-specific factors appear to have a greater contribution to anxiety than asthma status or control.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-023-00833-zAsthmaAnxietyAllergiesCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Sophia Linton Kayley Xu Lubnaa Hossenbaccus Hannah Botting Sarah Garvey Adam Sunavsky Lisa M. Steacy Dean A. Tripp Anne K. Ellis Anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspective Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology Asthma Anxiety Allergies COVID-19 |
| title | Anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspective |
| title_full | Anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspective |
| title_fullStr | Anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspective |
| title_short | Anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Canadian perspective |
| title_sort | anxiety in adults with asthma during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic a canadian perspective |
| topic | Asthma Anxiety Allergies COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-023-00833-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sophialinton anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT kayleyxu anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT lubnaahossenbaccus anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT hannahbotting anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT sarahgarvey anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT adamsunavsky anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT lisamsteacy anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT deanatripp anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective AT annekellis anxietyinadultswithasthmaduringthecoronavirusdisease2019pandemicacanadianperspective |