Asthma Knowledge Research Articles

Knowledge of school teachers regarding Asthma in Aseer region of Saudi Arabia

Background: Asthma is a leading cause of impairment, high health-care costs and poor quality of life for those who suffer from it. Asthma is the most prevalent chronic medical illness that schoolteachers must deal with in their students, impacting more than 10% of them. Teachers may be required to supervise inhaler administration and determine the necessity for additional treatment in acute attacks. Asthma prevalence varies greatly over the world, ranging from 1 to 20% for both children and adults. Methods: The data for this cross-sectional study was acquired using a specially designed questionnaire. The questionnaire includes demographic questions as well as questions about asthma awareness and knowledge. After collection of data, it was coded and entered in the SPSS ver.20 software for analyses descriptive statistics (mean standard deviation, frequencies and percentages were computed), to measure the significance differences t test and chi-square test was used at 5% level of significance. Data was collected from the teachers of Aseer region of KSA. Ethical approval was obtained from King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The study duration was from January-2021 to April-2021. Results: Out of a total 759 respondents, the mean (S.D.) of the respondents were 31.6(12.8). 14.2% were male while 85.8% were females. The Cronbach alpha of the questionnaire was 0.79. We have observed that age and education have a significant impact over the prevalence of Asthma awareness. Conclusion: We should train our teachers by conducting series of seminars, webinars and workshops. We will also incorporate training the trainer sessions for teaching staff to enhance their skills to deal with asthma. Key words: Asthma, diseases, teacher, knowledge, awareness

Child and caregiver experiences and perceptions of asthma self-management

Asthma is the most common chronic condition of childhood. Self-management is integral to good asthma control. This qualitative paper explores how children with asthma and their parents perceive asthma, their experience with asthma, and how they manage symptoms, preventions and medications within and outside the home. We undertook 15 focus groups with 41 school-aged (6–11 years) children with asthma and 38 parents. Parents and their children attended the same focus groups. We used thematic analysis to analyse the transcripts. Our findings show the impact asthma can have on children’s social and emotional wellbeing and highlight how reliant school-aged children are on their parents to effectively manage their asthma. Parents reported being unsure when their child’s symptoms warranted visiting their doctor or hospital. Schools were identified as a source of difficulty regarding asthma management; families reported that children may be self-conscious about their asthma and using their inhaler at school. School policies and teachers’ lack of asthma knowledge were reported to exacerbate children’s reluctance to use their inhaler at school. Our results have implications for the design and implementation of children’s self-management interventions for their asthma, particularly when they are at school and away from their parents.

Asthma self-management app for Indonesian asthmatics: A patient-centered design

BackgroundA proper education on asthma self-management helps asthmatics to improve health outcomes, such as better asthma knowledge and self-efficacy, increased frequency of symptom-free days, reduced unscheduled healthcare visits and absence from school or work days. In this modern digital era, the use of smartphone apps is increasing rapidly and reaching almost all aspects of our life, including health promotion and patient education on asthma self-management. Studies found that the apps make it easier for asthmatics to receive the education. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the systematic design, development, and implementation process of a Google Android OS asthma self-management smartphone app according to the Patient-Centered Design approach. MethodsThe design, development, and implementation process of the app adopted the Patient-Centered Design approach, including: (1) user needs assessment, (2) design of the app prototype, (3) development of the app prototype, (4) usability test, and (5) product launch. For better results, the study involved end-users (asthmatics and health professionals) during the development of the app. ResultsThe study resulted in a Google Android OS asthma self-management app, namely AsmaDroid. The app was developed to feature 8 contents and functions, namely: asthma education, a list of asthma medications, asthma diary or journal, peak flow record, asthma control test, asthma action plan, a chat box, and a map of nearest local hospitals or health centers. It was also found that the average success rate of the app was as follow: “completed with ease” was 88.15%, “completed with difficulty” was 7.78%, and “failed to complete” was 4.07%. It means that the success rate of app was “very high”. ConclusionThe implementation of Patient-Centered Design approach has been successfully completed for the development of AsmaDroid. However, additional research into the use of the app in the actual clinical world is highly required to demonstrate its effectiveness in improving the level of asthma knowledge, the quality of asthma control, and other health outcomes.

Practice on Metered Dose Inhaler Techniques and Its Associated Factors among Asthmatic Patients at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, East Gojjam, Ethiopia: A Prospective Study.

Background Asthma stands 16th among the leading causes of years lived with disability and 28th among the leading causes of disease in the world. A metered-dose inhaler remains the principal route for drug administration, and it has greater advantages over systemic treatment. In routine use, however, a majority of patients make inhalation errors. Suboptimal inhaler technique worsens health outcomes, with poor disease control, and increases the risk of hospitalization. This study aimed to assess practice metered-dose inhalation techniques and associated factors among asthmatic patients at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, East Gojjam, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methods Prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to August 30, 2020. Data were collected through a semistructured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Associations between dependent and independent variables were assessed by using binary and multiple logistic regressions. P values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant in all cases. Results are presented in tables, figures, numbers, and percentages. Result A total of 166 patients had involved in the study, of which 52.4% were females. One hundred and eleven (66.9%) participants had good knowledge of asthma and inhalational techniques, while the rest of them had poor knowledge. One hundred and eight (65.1%) patients had effective practice on metered-dose inhaler use techniques. Participant's knowledge regarding asthma and meter dose inhaler and marital status has a significant association with their practice of metered-dose inhaler techniques with P value 0.001 and 0.006, respectively. Conclusion In this study, most participants are suffering from asthma for a long duration and they have repeated exacerbation. Around two-thirds of patients had good knowledge regarding asthma and metered-dose inhaler and practice on metered-dose inhaler techniques. Participants with poor knowledge had poor practice on metered-dose inhaler techniques, and single patients were less likely to have poor practice on metered-dose inhaler techniques. Health education and counseling services should be consistently provided to the clients regarding the proper steps of inhalers use.

School practices in supporting children with asthma in Malta

Objective The objective of this study was to obtain information about teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, practices and beliefs about medication related to working with children having asthma in state primary schools in Malta. This study provides information about management in a country with a high prevalence of asthma among children, and limited availability of school nurses. Methods A cross-sectional electronic survey investigating beliefs about medicines, asthma knowledge, attitude toward students with asthma, self-efficacy and practice in an asthma exacerbation, current practices, views, experiences and training relating to asthma was sent to all participating state primary schools in Malta. Results A total of 167 teachers from 26 schools answered the questionnaire. The majority of respondents (56%) were unaware of children’s conditions and limited information about children’s asthma was provided to them. Only 20% of teachers reported receiving training on how to support children with asthma. Overall, teachers reported low asthma knowledge scores (mean score of 5.5 ± 3.3 out of a possible maximum of 14), and poor self-efficacy with only 6% agreeing that they can support a student having an asthma exacerbation on their own rather than sending the student to hospital. The study also demonstrated a strong interest by teachers to receive asthma education. Conclusions Interventions with regard to identifying students with asthma, asthma training for teachers, individualized asthma action plans, enhanced communication between school staff, parents and the medical team, and standard guidelines/policy are needed to provide a supportive school environment for primary school children with asthma.

Knowledge and perception about asthma among students in a Nigerian single-sex secondary school.

Asthma is prevalent among children and adolescents. Few studies have assessed the knowledge and perceptions of asthma among adolescents. This study assessed the knowledge and perception about asthma among secondary school students in an all-girls school in Nigeria. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a Nigerian secondary school in Enugu State (February 2020). In Senior Secondary School (SS1, SS2 and SS3), students could be in one of three specialized classes: Sciences, Humanities and Business. A self-administered structured questionnaire was filled by conveniently sampled students in SS1 and SS2. Inferential statistics utilized the Pearson's chi-square test and multiple linear regression with statistical significance set as P < 0.05. Three hundred and eighty-eight (388) students participated in the study (mean age = 14.64 ± 0.93 years). Majority of the students were in Science class (n = 299; 77.1%). There was high awareness about asthma (n = 384; 99.0%). More than half of them had good asthma knowledge (n = 279; 71.9%); close to three-fifths had favourable perception of asthma (n = 222; 57.2%). More students in SS2 had good knowledge of asthma compared to those in SS1 (76.7% vs. 67.2%; ꭓ2 = 4.338; P = 0.037). More students in Science class had favourable perceptions about asthma compared with those in Humanities and Business class (60.5% vs. 48.1% vs. 25.0%; ꭓ2 = 7.458; P = 0.024). Majority of the students were aware about asthma and had good knowledge of the disease while close to three-fifths had favourable perceptions about asthma.

Impact of an Asthma Education Program During Admission.

Health educational interventions improve health outcomes and quality of life in children with asthma. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an education intervention for an asthma inhaler technique during hospital admission for an asthma exacerbation. This prospective study was conducted in a pediatric hospitalization unit of a third-level hospital. Children admitted for an asthma exacerbation were eligible for inclusion. It was developed in 2 phases: during hospital admission (T1) and 1 month after discharge (T2). In the T1 phase, caregivers completed the questionnaire to assess asthma control in children (CAN questionnaire) and performed the inhaler technique, which was evaluated with a 6-step checklist. An educational intervention was performed. In the T2 phase, caregivers completed the CAN questionnaire, and the inhaler technique was reevaluated. We hypothesized that the inhaler technique improved after the implementation of an asthma education program. A total of 101 children were included, of whom 85 completed the T2 phase (84%). At baseline, 11.8% of participants performed the inhaler technique correctly. All steps of the inhaler technique upgraded in the T2 phase significantly (P < .01), except for the step "assemble the inhaler device correctly." Former evaluation by a pediatric pneumologist was associated with a higher score in the inhaler technique in the T1 phase. The median CAN questionnaire score in the T1 phase was 8 (interquartile range 4-16), which reduced to 4 (interquartile range 1.2-6) in the T2 phase (P < .01). The development of an educational intervention during admission improved inhaler technique as well as asthma knowledge.

The feasibility and effect of a nurse-led, patient-centered asthma education program in a Nigerian context

Rationale, aims and objectives Insufficient asthma education is an unmet need in Nigeria. We aimed to assess the feasibility of a nurse-led asthma education program and its effect on asthma knowledge and outcomes in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods Using a quasi-experimental study design, we recruited participants ≥12 years with physician diagnosed asthma. We assessed asthma knowledge, asthma control, medication adherence, health related quality of life and inhaler technique and also measured lung function. A trained nurse delivered asthma education sessions during the regular clinic visits and demonstrated correct inhaler technique. All assessments were repeated at 3-month. Data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant for all associations. Results Of the 80 participants at baseline, 42 (52.5%) completed the follow-up assessment and were included in the outcome analysis. Their ages ranged from 12 to 75 years, 35 (83.3%) were ≥18 years old and 30 (71.4%) were females. There was significant improvement in knowledge score immediately post intervention (15.48 ± 3.05 versus 18.33 ± 2.21, p < 0.001) and at 3 months (17.52 ± 2.63, p < 0.001). Those with uncontrolled asthma (Asthma Control Test score ≤19) had a meaningful (3.8-point) change in ACT score at follow-up. The improvement in the mean score on the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was significant (p = 0.03), but a change of 0.48 was not considered meaningful. There was significant (p < 0.001) and meaningful (1.08) improvement in Mini Asthma Quality of Life score at 3 months. Pre-bronchodilator FEV1% predicted and scores on the inhaler technique check list for the Diskus and pressurized meter dose inhaler did not significantly change at follow-up (p = 0.38, 0.26 and 0.80 respectively). Conclusion It is practicable for nurses to deliver effective asthma education during regular clinic visits in our practice setting. This training could meaningfully improve asthma control and health related quality of life.

Determinants of asthma knowledge and practices among caregivers of children with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma

For children with asthma, self-management is critical to minimize exacerbations requiring emergency department visits and hospitalizations.1 Asthma guidelines recommend self-management education at all points of clinical care, focused on monitoring control, using asthma action plans (AAP), taking medications, and avoiding environmental triggers.1 Nevertheless, asthma education is limited, contributing to suboptimal knowledge and practices.2,3 Improved asthma knowledge/practices are associated with better health outcomes,4 yet the determinants of asthma knowledge/practices among caregivers are not well understood.

Development and Validation of the New Asthma Numeracy Test

ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of a newly developed Asthma Numeracy Test (ANT) and to make it available in Arabic. MethodsPatients with asthma who were ≥18 years were seen in 3 outpatient primary care or respiratory medicine clinics in the United Arab Emirates. They completed the ANT of 10 questions assessing participant arithmetic computation, meaning of percentages, estimation, and problem solving. Each question was worth 1 point, giving a total score of 10. The ANT was forward and back translated to Arabic and English, respectively, by independent legal translators and piloted on 15 participants. Convergent validity was tested by comparing the ANT with the Asthma Knowledge Test (AKT) scores, knowledge of inhaled medications, and practical inhaler technique using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. ResultsThe average ANT score achieved by 150 participants was 6.47 ± 2.09; 25% and 45% scored ≤4.0 and 6.0, respectively. Correlation between ANT and AKT and knowledge of inhaled medications were positive, r = .22 and r = .16, P < .05, respectively. No correlation with participants’ practical inhaler technique was noted. ANT was positively associated with participant educational attainment and negatively with emergency room visits. ConclusionsA new short and easy-to-administer test of asthma numeracy has been developed and found to be valid and reliable. It may be used to assess numeracy levels of patients with asthma and consequently develop and evaluate targeted interventions designed to improve patient care outcomes. The test is available in English and Arabic.

Assessment of Asthma Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice among Health Professionals at Two Hospital Settings in Tabuk Region, Saudi Arabia

Asthma is one of the most common diseases in the world, with particularly high prevalence in KSA. Poor asthma management compliance, including inaccurate diagnoses, inappropriate medication use, poor patient knowledge, low understanding of the disease, unsatisfactory self-management adherence, incorrect techniques in administering inhalant medications and insufficient education are known to exist. The aims of this study is to assess asthma knowledge, attitudes and practice among the health professionals within two hospitals in Tabuk city, Saudi Arabia. This survey was carried out using self-reporting questionnaires. The hospital was a Level 3 site because it has an Emergency department that is open for admissions 24 hours a day, and is equipped with a Medical Assessment Unit. For this survey, a descriptive approach was adopted. 112 (n=112) health professionals were interviewed (nurses n=65 and doctors n=47) through the use of a convenience sample. The data was collected using a combination of two questionnaires, both of which were validated and deemed reliable while inclusive of demographics. Findings may also be used in the planning and implementation of awareness programmes about asthma care and its treatment. Finally, the findings of the study may be valuable to researchers interested in conducting further studies to improve asthma management.

The Impact of Asthma Education Programs on Children's Life Aspects: A Systematic Review

Objective: This Scoping review was conducted to explore the impact of education programs on asthmatic children's knowledge of asthma, quality of life, school absenteeism, and selfmanagement. Data sources: The Scoping review was restricted to randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs. Studies published in the English language between 2000 and 2017 were retrieved from CINAHL, MEDLINE, OvidSP, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases. Studies Selection: Along with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting studies, an evaluation for the quality of the experimental research based on the level of evidence was applied to categorize studies into poor to good quality. Results: Of the 1256 items initially identified references, 18 studies were included in the review to cover the impact of asthma education on four major areas: children's knowledge of asthma, quality of life, school absenteeism, and self-management. Conclusion: Despite some inconsistencies between the reviewed studies, asthma education programs demonstrated a positive effect on children's knowledge of asthma, quality of life, school absenteeism, and self-management. Further research on the effect of asthma education on children's activity level, symptoms, and emotional domains is warranted.

A community-based cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitude, and perceptions about asthma among healthy adults in rural South India.

Background:Evidence suggests that proper knowledge and perceptions about asthma result in a positive correlation with compliance with medications and regular medical follow-up. Assessing the level of knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) in the community is essential for planning public health interventions. There is a lacuna on community-based KAP study on asthma in rural India, as most of the existing evidence is from hospital-based studies in an urban setting.Methods:We interviewed 280 healthy adults from 14 villages in South India using the Chicago community asthma survey-32 (CCAS-32) questionnaire. We noted the frequency distribution of responses to the questions and scored KAP on symptoms, triggers, and treatment, and performed bivariate and multivariate analyses.Results:The mean age was 37.7 years ranging from 18 to 62 years. Almost half of them (47%) had primary or middle school education. 40.7% and 57.9% believed severe headache and tightness of chest were symptoms of asthma, respectively. Similarly, 38.2% and 48.4% thought asthma was a hereditary and contagious disease, respectively, whereas 41.8% of perceived asthma medications could be addictive. Having witnessed “patients with asthma” was associated with KAP on symptoms and triggers while younger age and having a relative with asthma were associated with KAP on treatment independently. Participants who had relatives with asthma were three times [(OR 3.04; 95% (1.5–6.1)] more likely to have good KAP compared to their counterparts.Conclusion:Asthma knowledge and perceptions are sparse in rural India. Adequate investments in public awareness are the need of the hour.

Spacing Effect-based Educational Interventional Strategy to Improve Asthma Knowledge among Biomedical Students in a Private Malaysian University

Spacing Effect-based Educational Interventional Strategy to Improve Asthma Knowledge among Biomedical Students in a Private Malaysian University

Exploring low-income African American and Latinx caregiver perspectives on asthma control in their children and reactions to messaging materials

Background African-American and Latinx children suffer from higher rates of uncontrolled asthma and poorer outcomes compared to white children. Sociocultural factors play a prominent role in how caregivers navigate asthma control for their children. Objectives (1) Explore the knowledge, perceptions and behaviors of Latinx and African-American caregivers related to their children’s asthma and identify barriers to achieving asthma control; and (2) Elicit caregiver responses to messaging materials intended to help them better recognize uncontrolled asthma and seek timely medical treatment. Methods Study participants were recruited and screened to meet the following inclusion criteria: African-American or Latinx race/ethnicity, household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty line, and at least one child diagnosed with asthma with symptom frequency consistent with uncontrolled asthma according to national guidelines. Participants attended one of three moderator-led focus groups. The transcripts were qualitatively analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results Themes emerged among the nineteen participants related to asthma assessment, management, emotion, support, and trust. Caregivers exhibited gaps in their asthma knowledge, especially pertaining to the term “asthma control.” Caregivers generally worried about asthma emergencies more than the daily impairments caused by uncontrolled asthma. Many were uncomfortable using daily controller medications, citing issues of provider trust and side effect concerns. Caregivers did not recognize uncontrolled asthma in their own child, even after viewing messaging materials informing them of symptom frequency criteria. Conclusion Culturally tailored interventions, including public asthma messaging, should address low trust in provider recommendations and caregiver concerns about controller medications.

School-Based Asthma Education Intervention is Associated with Improved Asthma Knowledge in Spanish bi-lingual children with asthma

A multicomponent school-nurse led intervention consisting of asthma education and asthma preventive therapy supervision is an innovative way to reduce asthma disparities in students with asthma attending a Spanish dual-language elementary school

Triggers of Acute Asthma in Patients Attending Emergency Centre in a Peri-urban District Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa

Introduction: Many avoidable triggers lead to acute asthma attack and subsequent visit to the emergency centre. The aim of the study was to determine triggers of acute asthma in order to target prevention efforts in patients attending emergency centre in a district hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. Objectives were to describe acute asthma patients, identify triggers and severity at presentation. Methods involved a prospective descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from April to August 2015, in consenting adult participants. A researcher or trained assistant completed the semi-structured questionnaire in English. Results: Overall, 239 patients enrolled (139 males, 100 females with the median age 31 years). Majority presented with moderate acute asthma (52.72%). Active cigarette smoking (p-value&lt;0.001) and/or passive cigarette smoking (p-value=0.004) were identified potential triggers for acute asthma attack. Chi-square or Fisher Exact test analysis were used for associations between variables and severity. Bivariate logistic regression was used to ascertain triggers associated with acute asthma attack. P-value &lt; 0.05 was statistically significant. Confidence interval was 95%. There were no significant associations between the severity of acute asthma attack and acute respiratory infection (p-value=0.818), use of medication-related asthma triggers (p-value=0.942) and knowledge of asthma allergens (p-value =0.086). Conclusion: The majority patients presented in moderate acute asthma attack which was most probably triggered by active and/ or passive cigarette smoking. Hence, frequent visits to hospital in acute asthma attack could be minimized by removing avoidable triggers from households.

Impact of pharmacist-led interventions on asthma patients’ knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy: single-blind randomised controlled trial

Abstract Objectives Asthma is a common chronic disease and education is a critical component of chronic disease management. This study assessed the impact of pharmacist-led educational interventions on asthma patients' knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy. Methods This single-blind, three-arm, prospective, randomized, controlled and parallel group study was conducted in the Respiratory Units of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu State and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State between March 2016 and September 2017. The three arms, in a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio, were: Usual Care, Individual Intervention and Caregiver-assisted Intervention. The Intervention arms received education, to varying degrees, for six months. The Usual Care arm received no education. The Knowledge, Attitude and Self-Efficacy-Asthma Questionnaire was filled at baseline, three months and six months. Data were analysed using the IBM SPSS Version 25.0 with statistical significance set as P &amp;lt; 0.05. Key findings Seventy-eight (78) asthma patients participated; 39 per hospital; 13 in each arm. Patients in both Intervention arms possessed significantly better asthma knowledge compared to Usual Care at three months (13.73 versus 5.88, P &amp;lt; 0.001/12.81 versus 5.88, P &amp;lt; 0.001) and six months (14.31 versus 5.77, P &amp;lt; 0.001/13.23 versus 5.77, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Only the Individual Intervention arm demonstrated significantly better attitudes (84.92 versus 79.77; P = 0.047) and self-efficacy (86.12 versus 80.73, P = 0.006) compared to Usual Care at three months and six months, respectively. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of educating patients directly, as much as possible.

Implementation of a Pictorial Asthma Action Plan (PAAP) in a Special Population

Asthma action plans should be standard practice amongst asthmatics. According to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, a lack of AAP implementations could lead to increased asthma-related hospitalizations. Many written AAPs are written at a seventh to ninth grade reading level leading to less control of asthma symptoms, potentially resulting in increased asthma-related hospitalizations. A pictorial-based curriculum and its benefits will be discussed, along with background information concerning the implementation of such intervention and desired goal to increase asthma control. Implementation of a Pictorial Asthma Action Plan and Curriculum to improve Asthma Control utilizing <i>“Iggy and the Inhalers''</i> by Booster Shot Media was conducted in a predominantly Spanish speaking and low income-based population. Iggy and the inhalers have published results of implementing their Pictorial Asthma Action Plan and Curriculum and improved outcomes documented on their site. The objective of implementation was to determine whether incorporating a pictorial based approach would improve control and knowledge amongst students with asthma in a special population. All identifiable participant information was kept private per site guidelines with exception to age and grade range and demographic information. Sixteen children participated in the implementation. Nine participants scored in the "well controlled" category while seven participants were "not controlled" according to ACT guidelines. Overall, five of seven (71%) improved their asthma control enough to bring them into the "controlled" state according to the ACT. Of those who improved, 16 (81%) improved with the Asthma Knowledge test. <i>Conclusion:</i> By utilizing appropriate educational methods, you can also increase participation and engagement, which results in increased compliance and control. Control and knowledge of asthma were improved because of this implementation project. Recommendation is that a PAAP curriculum should be promoted system wide.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Bronchial Asthma Among Medical Students – A Questionnaire Based Study

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Bronchial Asthma Among Medical Students – A Questionnaire Based Study