What determines knowledge of asthma among young people and their families?
In this analysis, we sought to determine factors that predicted the level of asthma knowledge in a sample of adolescents with asthma and their parents. Eighty-five young people aged 10-24 years attending tertiary care asthma clinics and 46 of their parents answered validated respiratory and asthma knowledge questionnaires. Older adolescents were more knowledgeable about asthma than were younger adolescents (r=0.36, p=0.001). Young people with severe asthma (p=0.015) scored higher on the asthma knowledge questionnaire than those with mild/moderate asthma. Asthma knowledge among young people was related to that of their mothers (r=0.47, p=0.014), however, only age and the asthma knowledge of fathers significantly predicted adolescent asthma knowledge. Adolescents develop increasing autonomy for asthma self-management as they mature, but parents remain an important source of information about asthma for young people.
Barton
Christopher
C
Monash University, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash Medical School, The Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia.
Abramson
Michael
M
Aroni
Rosalie
R
Stewart
Kay
K
Thien
Francis
F
Sawyer
Susan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents