Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score

This study describes the development of the Asthma Symptom Score (ASS) and evaluates its accuracy and internal consistency in Greenlandic and Danish, using clinical interviews based on Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines as the gold standard. A cross-sectional study was conducted across all regi...

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Main Authors: Christiane Hempel Christiansen, Michael Lynge Pedersen, Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Maja Hykkelbjerg Nielsen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2025.2540684
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author Christiane Hempel Christiansen
Michael Lynge Pedersen
Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen
Maja Hykkelbjerg Nielsen
author_facet Christiane Hempel Christiansen
Michael Lynge Pedersen
Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen
Maja Hykkelbjerg Nielsen
author_sort Christiane Hempel Christiansen
collection DOAJ
description This study describes the development of the Asthma Symptom Score (ASS) and evaluates its accuracy and internal consistency in Greenlandic and Danish, using clinical interviews based on Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines as the gold standard. A cross-sectional study was conducted across all regions of Greenland, targeting citizens aged 12+, using data from the electronic medical record. The ASS (n = 94) was validated against clinical interviews using a receiver operating characteristic curve, yielding an area under the curve estimate of 0.91, indicating strong agreement. The ASS demonstrated a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 93%, and an overall agreement of 87%. Patients scoring 0–5 points were categorised as having controlled asthma, while those scoring 6–20 points were categorised as non-controlled. Among participants completing both the ASS and the clinical interview, 57% were classified as having non-controlled asthma. The ASS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency in both Greenlandic and Danish. These findings underscore the need for improved management of asthma in Greenland. The strong correlation between the ASS and clinical interviews suggests that the ASS may be a valuable tool in clinical practice for assessing asthma control among patients with a confirmed diagnosis. However, further validation including a larger study group, and test – retest reliability is recommended.
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spelling doaj-art-9cb9ea467e7641b894a377f3c258e0b82025-08-20T02:45:26ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Circumpolar Health2242-39822025-12-0184110.1080/22423982.2025.2540684Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom scoreChristiane Hempel Christiansen0Michael Lynge Pedersen1Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen2Maja Hykkelbjerg Nielsen3Steno Diabetes Center Greenland, Queen Ingrid’s Hospital, Nuuk, GreenlandSteno Diabetes Center Greenland, Queen Ingrid’s Hospital, Nuuk, GreenlandGreenlandic Center for Health Research, Department of Health and Nature, Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland, Nuuk, GreenlandSteno Diabetes Center Greenland, Queen Ingrid’s Hospital, Nuuk, GreenlandThis study describes the development of the Asthma Symptom Score (ASS) and evaluates its accuracy and internal consistency in Greenlandic and Danish, using clinical interviews based on Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines as the gold standard. A cross-sectional study was conducted across all regions of Greenland, targeting citizens aged 12+, using data from the electronic medical record. The ASS (n = 94) was validated against clinical interviews using a receiver operating characteristic curve, yielding an area under the curve estimate of 0.91, indicating strong agreement. The ASS demonstrated a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 93%, and an overall agreement of 87%. Patients scoring 0–5 points were categorised as having controlled asthma, while those scoring 6–20 points were categorised as non-controlled. Among participants completing both the ASS and the clinical interview, 57% were classified as having non-controlled asthma. The ASS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency in both Greenlandic and Danish. These findings underscore the need for improved management of asthma in Greenland. The strong correlation between the ASS and clinical interviews suggests that the ASS may be a valuable tool in clinical practice for assessing asthma control among patients with a confirmed diagnosis. However, further validation including a larger study group, and test – retest reliability is recommended.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2025.2540684AsthmaprevalenceGreenlandasthma symptom scoresymptom burdenASS
spellingShingle Christiane Hempel Christiansen
Michael Lynge Pedersen
Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen
Maja Hykkelbjerg Nielsen
Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score
International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Asthma
prevalence
Greenland
asthma symptom score
symptom burden
ASS
title Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score
title_full Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score
title_fullStr Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score
title_full_unstemmed Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score
title_short Asthma in Greenland - development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score
title_sort asthma in greenland development and evaluation of the asthma symptom score
topic Asthma
prevalence
Greenland
asthma symptom score
symptom burden
ASS
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22423982.2025.2540684
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AT michaellyngepedersen asthmaingreenlanddevelopmentandevaluationoftheasthmasymptomscore
AT evaceciliebonefeldjørgensen asthmaingreenlanddevelopmentandevaluationoftheasthmasymptomscore
AT majahykkelbjergnielsen asthmaingreenlanddevelopmentandevaluationoftheasthmasymptomscore