Parental self-efficacy and asthma self-management skills.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a formal asthma self-management program and social support using lay health advisors increases parent self-efficacy in the management of their child's asthma, and whether parent self-efficacy predicts asthma self-management skills.


METHODS
Quasi-experimental with four time points measured over 2 years.


METHODS
Low-income, primarily Hispanic parents (N = 303) of children with moderately severe to severe asthma.


METHODS
A Southwestern university medical setting in a rural state.


METHODS
Parent self-efficacy and parent asthma self-management skill score scales.


RESULTS
Parent self-efficacy increased significantly from baseline, but there were no significant differences between the control and treatment groups. The increase in self-efficacy was apparent at 6 months, then leveled off. Parent self-efficacy at either baseline or 12 months did not predict parents' asthma self-management skill score.


CONCLUSIONS
Individual education was just as effective as group education in increasing parental self-efficacy. Parents felt more comfortable treating asthma episodes than preventing them, thus clinicians need to spend time teaching preventive strategies.
Hanson
J
J
Student Health Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA.
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009516:New Mexico; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011897:Random Allocation; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors