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Correspondence

Indian Pediatr 2018;55: 261

Evaluation of Asthma Control in Children Using Questionnaires: Author's Reply

 

A R Somashekhar

Department of Pediatrics, Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Email: [email protected]
 

   

1. Due to the limitations of FEV1 in the age group of below 6 years, both FEV1 and PEFR were used in this study, and their values were clinically interpreted and analyzed with GINA criteria (as GINA criteria allows the use of either).

2. We regret a typographical error in mentioning the duration of the study. The study was conducted from April 2014 to September 2014.

3. Indeed, the questionnaires were verbally translated by the person administering the questionnaire. Photographic representation of the responses provided as a feature in the questionnaire, aided in helping the children understand the questions and to optimally answer it. A written translated version was not used because the study sample was heterogeneous with respect to education level and the language spoken at home (varying from Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada). Hence, to maintain uniformity, a standard English questionnaire was used, and was verbally translated appropriately according to the participant’s needs. Further, translated versions would itself need a validation process before being used for the study.

4. One author was solely responsible for clinical evaluation and the other author was involved in administering the questionnaire.


 

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