Knowledge on Self-Management and Level of Asthma Control among Adult Asthmatic Patients Attending Kalar General Hospital

Abstract

Background: As asthma is a controllable disease, the aim of asthma management is to control the disease and allow patients to have a normal and healthy life. Self-management of asthma is crucial for disease control and has a positive impact on patient quality of life. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the level of knowledge of self-management and asthma control and find out the relation between them in asthmatic patients Methods: A quantitative descriptive design was used to recruit a sample of 83 asthmatics patients attending chronic disease department at Kalar general hospital, from November 2018 to June 2019. The study sample was chosen by convenience sample technique. Data were collected through the questionnaire consist of 4 parts; patients’ characteristic, patients lifestyle and biomedical characteristic, Knowledge on Asthma Self-Management Questionnaire, and Asthma Control Test. Data were analyzed by (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 24) descriptive and interferential statistics. Results: The finding revealed that the (12.0%) of participants had good knowledge and asthma for (13.3%) well-controlled. Knowledge and control of asthma correlated positively (p < 0.01). Elderly, low educated, housewife and not adhered to medications had poor knowledge. Whereas, asthma control was low among female, low educated, housewife and retied (p < 0.05). Conclusions: the rate of asthma control was low and the patients had wide gaps in knowledge of important items related to asthma preventive strategies and medication use which are crucial to self- management of the disease. Substantial efforts to upgrade patients' knowledge are urgently needed, through intensive patient education.