title: Medication use in Indian children with asthma: the user's perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the high prevalence of asthma in children, there has been limited research into patient perception of medication use, particularly in the developing world. This study therefore aimed to carry out an in-depth exploration of the views of carers and children with asthma on asthma medication use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grounded theory approach was used to conduct semistructured qualitative interviews in a purposive convenience sample of parents and children with asthma. The participants were recruited from two specialty hospitals in New Delhi, India. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty children (7-12 years old) with asthma and their parent or carer were interviewed in July 2011. Major reported issues included poor parent and child understanding of disease and medications. Fears, misinformed beliefs and lack of self-management skills were apparent. Child self-image, resistance to medication use and lack of responsibility in medication taking were themes that emerged from child interviews.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is one of the first research studies exploring the viewpoint of children with asthma about their medications. Resource constraints dictate a pragmatic paternalistic approach by physicians which, in contrast to patients in westernized nations, seems to be acceptable and satisfactory to Indian patients (carers).
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. cgro9516@uni.sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Charu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Krishan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chugh
authors.forename: Shailendra Nath
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Gaur
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Armour
authors.forename: Peter Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: van Asperen
authors.forename: Rebekah Jane
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Moles
authors.forename: Bandana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saini
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents