title: Influences of health literacy, judgment skills, and empowerment on asthma self-management practices.
abstract: Asthma self-management has been recognized as an essential factor for the improvement of asthma outcomes and patients' quality of life (WHO, 2013). Likewise, empowerment and health literacy have been noted as important elements for the management of chronic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the influence of health literacy and empowerment on asthma self-management.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study used a self-reported questionnaire assessing health literacy, judgment skills, empowerment, and asthma self-management; 236 patients were recruited from medical offices in Switzerland and Italy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Judgment skills (B=2.28, p<0.001) and empowerment (B=0.19, p<0.05) have a significant and positive influence on several asthma self-management practices such as use of medicines, timely medical consultation, and asthma triggers control whereas health literacy (B=-0.15, p<0.175) appeared to have a negative effect on self-management practices. However, this was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that empowered patients with adequate judgment skills carry out key self-management tasks more appropriately, which in turn will potentially result in better asthma control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study recommends that both empowerment and judgment skills should be addressed in patient education as they serve as essential motivators to engage patients in these behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Communication and Health, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland. Electronic address: anamorenol@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Moreno
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Londoño
authors.affiliation: Institute of Communication and Health, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland. Electronic address: peter.schulz@usi.ch.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Schulz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
keywords: Asthma self-management; Empowerment; Health empowerment model; Health literacy; Judgment skills