The Asthma Quiz for Kidz is a simple, self-administered questionnaire that correlates with the physician’s assessment of asthma control and is easily completed by school-aged children and by parents of younger children aged 1 to 6 years. It was validated for use by children aged 7 to 17 years and parents of preschool-aged children. It is written in a grade 2 language (for 7 years and older). This tool is primarily intended for monitoring a child’s asthma control and for serving as a communication tool between the child, his/her parents, and their health care professional(s).
The Asthma Quiz for Kidz was developed using the standard Kirshner and Guaytt's approach for instrument development. The instrument development was derived from the asthma control criteria proposed by the Asthma Consensus Statement in 2003 and still valid in the latest update in 2012.
The six clinical criteria for asthma control were phrased as question and response options, and pre-tested for clarity. The clarity of the Asthma Quiz for Kidz was tested with cognitive interviews in asthmatic children 7 to 17 years of age and their parents who were interviewed separately, and in parents of children aged 1 to 6 years. Participants were asked to read each question and response option aloud, and prompted to “think aloud” while choosing their answer. Each language version was translated and back translated to ensure concordance between both the English and French versions. Editorial changes occurred until concordance was achieved. Several iterative versions were produced until at least 85% clarity was achieved regarding the questions, response options, and interpretations. The fourth and final version of the questionnaire was called, “The Asthma Quiz for Kidz.”1 Using the back-translation technique, we simultaneously designed and tested the French and English versions.
The score was compared with asthma physicians’ rating of asthma control based on history, physical examination, and pulmonary function tests when available.1 The Asthma Quiz for Kidz is a valid, reliable, and responsive measure of asthma control; it correlates with physician assessment of asthma control.
The Asthma Quiz for Kidz is a 6-item questionnaire including:
- Daytime symptoms less than four days/week;
- Night time symptoms less than one night/week;
- Use of rescue β2 agonist less than four times/week;
- Normal physical activity;
- No school absenteeism due to asthma in the preceding 30 days; and
- No exacerbation requiring an unscheduled medical visit in the preceding 30 days.
Each criterion is phrased in the form of a question.
All response options are scaled as "yes" (1 point) or "no" (0 points), for a maximum score of 6, assuming an equal weight for each variable.
- A score of 0 or 1 indicates good asthma control.
- A score of 2 or more is suggestive of poor asthma control and should prompt patients to consult their physicians.
The Asthma Quiz for Kidz may provide complementary information but does not replace lung function testing.
The Asthma Quiz for Kidz has been used as a research instrument to assess asthma control.1,2,3 Its usefulness as a means to recognise and take action in case of poor asthma control has been tested in a randomized controlled trial.4