Levels of knowledge about asthma of parents of asthmatic children

Effect of maternal knowledge of asthma management on quality of life and asthma control among children with asthma: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of mothers' knowledge about asthma management on quality of life and asthma control among children with asthma in Palestine.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out by mothers of children with asthma in Palestine in four major public hospitals. Mothers of a total of 220 were selected randomly via a computerized system. Data were collected using Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life (PAQLQ), an Asthma Control Test (ACT), and the mothers' Self-Practices and Knowledge (SPK) of asthma management questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (V25).

RESULTS

A total of 220 mothers of children with asthma were randomly selected and invited to participate but 182 agreed to participate, with a response rate of 83%. The mean age of participant children was 9.7 ± 2.72 years, and the mean age of mothers was 34.5 ± 9.6 years. The mean score of the QoL was 3.91(SD ± 1.61) out of 7. Most participant children had uncontrolled asthma with a total mean score of 14.13(SD ± 5.23) on the ACT. The mean score of mothers' SPK level was 2.12(SD ± 0.83) with a total mean score of 42.13 ± 3.68 out of 68, which indicated a moderate level of knowledge and there was a strong correlation between mothers' SPK and children's QoL.

CONCLUSIONS

The investigation showed that mothers of children with asthma had moderate SPK, and the children had uncontrolled asthma with poor QoL. These findings suggest developing educational initiatives to enhance parents' asthma-related knowledge and skills to improve their children's asthma-related quality of life and asthma control.

Pediatric asthma knowledge: Insights from a Portuguese central hospital study

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a common chronic condition in children, with parental and child health literacy affecting health outcomes and asthma control. This study examined pediatric asthma knowledge at a Portuguese central hospital and its determinants.

METHODS

We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study, applying the Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire (QCSA), answered by adolescents and/or caregivers. The sample was categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of respiratory conditions, such as asthma or recurrent wheezing, in children. Those with such conditions (Group A) were further divided into two subgroups: those receiving general pediatric care (Group A2) and those receiving specialized care, followed in pulmonology or allergology consultations (Group A1).

RESULTS

The study involved 154 participants, predominantly female (74%) with an average age of 31.2 years ( ± 13.4). The average QCSA score was 14.8 ( ± 3.2), and Group A exhibited a statistically higher score, 15.5 points ±3.2 versus Group B, 14.2 points ± 3.2, p = .034. Group A1 achieved significantly better scores (16 points: range 4-21) than Group A2 (14 points: range 9-21) (p = .029). Scores were correlated positively with the duration of specialized follow-up (ρ = .326; p = .027). Asthma knowledge was correlated with the level of education (r = .468; p < .001). The number of wheezing episodes (r = -.466; p < .001) within the past year were associated to QCSA scores.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the presence of respiratory condition, the follow-up in specialized appointments and higher levels of education were associated with greater asthma knowledge.

Parental knowledge and attitudes toward asthma in Jordanian children with asthma, a multi-center cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

We explored Jordanian caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward asthma in their children.

METHODS

This cross-sectional investigation was conducted on caregivers visiting the pediatrics clinic at the Jordan University Hospital and King Abdullah University Hospital between December 2021 and January 2023. KAP were measured using a literature-validated questionnaire. Differences in KAP scores across participants' characteristics were examined using the student-t test and ANOVA.

RESULTS

A total of 108 caregivers were included in the final analysis. Caregivers were aged 30 to 40 years (54.6%) and had at least secondary education (90.7%). The majority of participants displayed appropriate knowledge with respect to asthma's clinical course. Furthermore, the greater portion of caregivers were knowledgeable about preventing asthma attacks and treating their children during said attacks. Factors affecting knowledge of asthma included age of mothers (p < .05). On the other hand, attitude scores were affected by occupation, type of medication, and family history of asthma (all p < .05). Moreover, employee mothers, children well controlled on both Asthma Control Test and Global Initiative for Asthma scores, and having no pediatric intensive care unit admissions were associated with higher practice treatment scores (all p < .05). Overall practice score was weakly, yet positively correlated with knowledge scores (r = 0.195, p = .043). Similarly, negative attitudes were weakly correlated with higher knowledge scores (r = 0.199, p = .039).

CONCLUSION

While the knowledge and practice scores were satisfactory, the clinical status of children with asthma was unsatisfactory. Future studies should examine factors associated with caregiver insecurity and measure their extent of applying asthma prevention guidelines.

Caregivers' Perceptions, Needs, and Data Sharing Concerns in mHealth Research on Pediatric Asthma: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Background

Pediatric asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease of childhood. Caregivers often report lacking knowledge in several aspects of asthma management at home. Although the use of mobile health (mHealth) tools, such as mobile apps, could facilitate asthma self-management and, simultaneously, the collection of data for research, few studies have explored the features that caregivers would like to see in such a tool and their perceptions on data sharing.

Objective

This study evaluates caregivers' perceived knowledge gaps in asthma management; their perceptions of certain features and resources that should be included in a potential mobile app; and any concerns that they may have regarding data sharing for research, including privacy and security concerns.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 200 caregivers of children (aged 1-13 y) with asthma who were followed at a pediatric tertiary care center in Montreal, Canada. Anonymous data were collected through the institutional web-based survey platform. We collected the participants' answers by using a 5-category Likert scale ("completely agree," "agree," "neither agree nor disagree," "disagree," and "completely disagree"), multiple-choice questions, and free-text questions on the abovementioned topics. Descriptive statistics were performed, and answers were compared between caregivers of preschool-aged children and caregivers of school-aged children.

Results

Participating children's mean age was 5.9 (SD 3.4) years, with 54% (108/200) aged ≤5 years and 46% (92/200) aged >6 years. Overall, caregivers reported having adequate knowledge about asthma and asthma self-management. Nonetheless, they identified several desirable features for a mobile app focused on asthma self-management. The most frequently identified features included receiving alerts about environmental triggers of asthma (153/199, 76.9%), having videos that demonstrate symptoms of asthma (133/199, 66.8%), and being able to log children's asthma action plans in the app (133/199, 66.8%). Interestingly, more caregivers of preschool-aged children preferred textual information when compared to caregivers of school-aged children (textual information for explaining asthma: P=.008; textual information for the symptoms of asthma: P=.005). Caregivers were generally highly in favor of sharing data collected through a mobile app for research.

Conclusions

Caregivers of children with asthma in our study identified several desirable educational and interactive features that they wanted to have in a mobile app for asthma self-management. These findings provide a foundation for designing and developing mHealth tools that are relevant to caregivers of children with asthma.

Association of Asthma Control With Caregivers' Knowledge and Practices for Children With Asthma in the Tabuk Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Asthma is a chronic heterogeneous inflammatory disease that affects millions of individuals around the globe. Standardized asthma management is crucial to maintain and control the disease. Caregivers are the leading players in managing asthma during childhood. Studies are lacking in the Tabuk region. The aim of this study was to elucidate knowledge levels and common practices of caregivers of pediatric patients with asthma in the Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia and its impact on asthma control. Methodology A validated cross-sectional survey of the population of the Tabuk region was conducted from July 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022. Convenience sampling via an internet-based questionnaire within the study area was deployed, followed by phone interviews. Results  A total of 393 caregivers completed the questionnaire, and the data were analyzed. The median age of asthmatic children was nine years, and most of them were males (60.8%). Most caregivers had a higher education (62.1%). The symptoms of allergic rhinitis were found in almost 80% of children. Pulmonary function tests were performed in 42.5% of children, and only one-third underwent radioallergosorbent (RAST) skin testing. About half the children had an asthmatic attack and an emergency department visit once during the previous 12 months, and most were hospitalized during that period. Most caregivers showed good knowledge (score=7) about symptoms of asthma and factors that could worsen the child's asthma, as well as good asthma control practices (score ≥7). Children with poorly controlled asthma were younger, had significant allergic rhinitis symptoms (30%), and underwent pulmonary function tests (60%). Conclusion  In the Tabuk region, the extent of asthma control was significantly associated with caregivers' knowledge and practices for children with asthma. Future public education campaigns should focus on closing the observed knowledge and practice gaps to reduce the impact of childhood asthma.

Asthma-Related Knowledge and Practices among Mothers of Asthmatic Children: A Latent Class Analysis

Mothers’ knowledge about childhood asthma influences management practices and disease control, but validating knowledge/practice questionnaires is difficult due to the lack of a gold standard. We hypothesized that Latent Class Analysis (LCA) could help identify underlying mother profiles with similar knowledge/practices. A total of 438 mothers of asthmatic children answered a knowledge/practice questionnaire. Using answers to the knowledge/practice questionnaire as manifest variables, LCA identified two classes: Class 1, “poor knowledge” (33%); Class 2, “good knowledge” (67%). Classification accuracy was 0.96. Mothers in Class 2 were more likely to be aware of asthma-worsening factors and indicators of attacks. Mothers in Class 1 were more likely to prevent exposure to tobacco smoke (91.1% vs. 78.8%, p = 0.005). For attacks, mothers in Class 2 were more likely to go to the emergency department and follow the asthma action plan. Mothers in Class 2 more frequently had a high education level (79.5% vs. 65.2%, p = 0.004). Children in Class 2 more frequently had fully controlled asthma (36.7% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.015) and hospitalizations for attacks in the previous 12 months (24.2% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.003). LCA can help discover underlying mother profiles and plan targeted educational interventions.

Avaliação dos níveis de alfabetismo em saúde, conhecimento em asma e qualidade de vida de pais associados ao controle da doença em crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico de asma de centros especializados

Objetivo: avaliar o nível de conhecimento em asma, alfabetismo em saúde e qualidade de vida de cuidadores de crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico da doença, bem como, a associação com o controle da asma, adesão ao tratamento e qualidade de vida.Métodos: estudo transversal, realizado com cuidadores e pacientes de dois centros especializados de referência no Sul do Brasil, entre março de 2018 e novembro de 2018. Participaram pais e cuidadores de crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico de asma, com idade a partir de 18 anos. Foram aplicados os questionários: sociodemográfico, Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Portuguese-Speaking Adults, Questionário de Conhecimento em Asma Pediátrica e Paediatric Asthma Caregiver’s Quality of Life Questionnaire. Para fins estatísticos, foram utilizados o teste t, qui-quadrado e Regressão Logística Binária.Resultados: foram incluídos 125 cuidadores, sendo 89 (71,2%) mães, com idade média de 35,7±9,2 anos, 65 (52%) com ensino médio completo e 100 (80%) pertencentes à classe econômica C. Do total, 74 (59,2%) apresentaram níveis inadequados de alfabetismo em saúde e 117 (94,4%) inadequados níveis de conhecimento em asma. A asma não estava controlada em 91 (72,8%) dos pacientes, estando associado a menor qualidade de vida deles e de seus cuidadores (p<0,001). A Regressão Logística verificou se o alfabetismo em saúde, o conhecimento em asma e a qualidade de vida dos cuidadores estavam associados ao controle da asma dos pacientes, sendo esse modelo significativo [X2(4) = 22,083; p<0,001, R2Nagelkerke = 0,484]. As variáveis categóricas utilizadas como referência foram as que apresentaram maior frequência (asma não controlada e conhecimentos inadequados). O alfabetismo em saúde (OR = 3,650; IC95% = 1,335 - 9,984) e qualidade de vida (OR = 3,095; IC95% = 1,850 – 5,178) também foram significativos.Conclusão: a população analisada apresentou níveis de alfabetismo em saúde e conhecimento em asma insatisfatórios. Ainda, os níveis de controle da doença foram baixos podendo estar associados aos níveis de qualidade de vida.

Childhood Asthma Awareness in Saudi Arabia: Five-Year Follow-Up Study

Background

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease that is characterized by reversible airway obstruction due to bronchial hyperresponsiveness. It is one of the most common chronic diseases. In Saudi Arabia, asthma affects 2 million people with asthma frequency in children markedly higher than adults with regional variations ranging from 9% to 33.7%.

Objective

The aim of this study is to measure asthma awareness and knowledge of study participants during the ongoing annual Saudi asthma awareness campaigns and compare them with previous survey data conducted in 2014.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the form of a survey distributed across three major cities in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, during the National Asthma Awareness Campaign in major regional shopping centers in April 2019. Asthma knowledge scores across different demographic groups were generated from surveyed data. Descriptive and correlative statistical analyses were performed to identify factors associated with changes in asthma knowledge. Scores were compared to previous survey results.

Results

The mean score for asthma knowledge was 15.6 out of 25. Asthma knowledge significantly correlated with age (P=0.002), asthma status of the participants (P=0.001), having children with asthma (P=0.005) or knowing friends or family with asthma (P=0.029) but not with other socioeconomic factors such as gender, marital status, occupation, level of education and number of children in the family (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference in the asthma scores from 2014 (M= 63%, SD=26) to 2019 (M= 70%, SD= 26) conditions; t (24) = -2.106, p=0.046.

Conclusion

Further educational campaigns are necessary to enhance and measure general public awareness of asthma, its differential diagnosis against other respiratory infections, environmental triggers, risk factors as well as treatment options.

Sex Differences in Paediatric and Adult Asthma

Asthma is the most common chronic condition in Western countries. Affecting 1 in 7 children and 1 in 12 adults, asthma is responsible for >350,000 avoidable deaths every year. While most children who develop symptoms of asthma are <5 years of age, the disease is frequently misdiagnosed or not suspected in infants and toddlers. In addition, the prevalence of asthma is different in males and females throughout their lifespan. While boys are more likely to develop asthma than girls, this pattern is reversed after puberty. This indicates that sex-specific factors, such as fluctuations in hormone levels, play a role in the disease’s pathogenesis. In this review, the authors discuss recent advances in diagnostic tools for asthma in both adults and children, as well as the influences of BMI, environmental exposures, socioeconomic factors, and sex hormones in the disease’s pathogenesis. The review will show that both experimental and epidemiological evidence suggest that circulating sex hormone levels are important contributors to asthma symptoms in post-pubertal females, while their role in males and children has not been yet established. In addition, the mechanisms associated with these hormonal influences on airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity have not been yet elucidated. The authors conclude that different factors affect asthma rates and severity in children and adults, and that more research needs to be conducted to identify the specific contributions of sex hormones. These will allow the development of more personalised asthma treatment strategies for men and women at different stages of life.

Sex Differences in Paediatric and Adult Asthma

Asthma is the most common chronic condition in Western countries. Affecting 1 in 7 children and 1 in 12 adults, asthma is responsible for >350,000 avoidable deaths every year. While most children who develop symptoms of asthma are <5 years of age, the disease is frequently misdiagnosed or not suspected in infants and toddlers. In addition, the prevalence of asthma is different in males and females throughout their lifespan. While boys are more likely to develop asthma than girls, this pattern is reversed after puberty. This indicates that sex-specific factors, such as fluctuations in hormone levels, play a role in the disease's pathogenesis. In this review, the authors discuss recent advances in diagnostic tools for asthma in both adults and children, as well as the influences of BMI, environmental exposures, socioeconomic factors, and sex hormones in the disease's pathogenesis. The review will show that both experimental and epidemiological evidence suggest that circulating sex hormone levels are important contributors to asthma symptoms in post-pubertal females, while their role in males and children has not been yet established. In addition, the mechanisms associated with these hormonal influences on airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity have not been yet elucidated. The authors conclude that different factors affect asthma rates and severity in children and adults, and that more research needs to be conducted to identify the specific contributions of sex hormones. These will allow the development of more personalised asthma treatment strategies for men and women at different stages of life.