Supporting asthma self-management behavioural change with a mobile application: a feasibility study

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> There is limited evidence of using mobile applications (apps) to support self-management among people with asthma and limited health literacy.1 Aims and objectives: We aimed to explore how an app could support self-management behaviour change. <b>Methods:</b> The mixed-method pre-post feasibility study recruited 37 adults from the Klang District, Malaysia with asthma on inhaled corticosteroids and with limited health literacy. Of these, participants were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews. The audio-recorded Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed deductively. <b>Results:</b> Twelve participants (8 female, mean age 51 years) were interviewed. Emerging themes on how the ‘app’ enabled self-management were informed by the Behaviour Change Model (COM-B): Capability: The information available in the app improved participants’ understanding about asthma and enabled self-management skills. Motivation: Visual prompts motivated participants to engage in daily preventer use and the pictorial asthma action plan helped to explain how to manage deterioration of health. Opportunity: A mobile app in a daily use device provided participants with opportunities to actively manage their asthma. Family members could play a significant role in supporting participants (e.g. older people) who needed help to use the technology to manage their health. <b>Conclusion:</b> A mobile app tailored to health literacy needs has the potential to support asthma self-management. The strength of family ties and multigenerational households in Malaysia provides a social opportunity for people with asthma to engage in asthma self-management.