Title : Understanding asthma self-management behaviors among adolescents
Abstract:
Asthma is a substantial public health problem with increasing prevalence among adolescents. More than four million adolescents in the U.S. have asthma. Acquiring self-management skills and assuming responsibility are important tasks for adolescents to learn. However, adolescents may lack asthma management knowledge and the skills and behaviors necessary to manage their asthma.
Study Significance: Asthma self-management is critical to reducing negative outcomes for adolescents. This study aims to explore adolescents’ experiences as they acquire asthma self-management skills and assume responsibility for their care. Learning the critical components necessary for asthma self-management from the adolescents’ perspective is essential and the first step in developing interventions to ensure the safe transfer of care to adolescents as they strive for independence.
Method: A qualitative descriptive methodology was used in this study. Purposive sampling were used to recruit adolescents aged 12-21 years old living with asthma. Participants (n=17) are enrolled until saturation is met. Content analysis with constant comparison were used for data analysis.
Results: Essential elements toward acquiring asthma self-management included attitude, knowledge, emotions/feelings, stigma, determinants of health, perceived quality of life, and decision-making ability. Taking action and demonstrating a skill level to manage their asthma condition was influenced by age, support systems, and years since diagnosis, and psychosocial factors.
Discussion: Adolescents’ emotional and cognitive characteristics are distinct from children and adults. Well-developed interventions based on adolescent needs and experiences will hasten their acquisition of self-management skills and assist in the transition to assuming responsibility for managing their asthma. Adolescents’ asthma self-management experiences and perceptions are essential for assessing critical behaviors to evaluate the necessary components of educational interventions. The results of this study have the potential to improve health outcomes of adolescents with asthma thus aligning with the mission of SNRS to advance nursing science through utilization of research findings.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- Adolescents tend to experience more exacerbations, higher comorbidity, and mortality, and have fewer healthcare visits than adults with asthma.
- Adolescence represents a developmental milestone where individuals transition into assuming responsibility for managing their health conditions.
- The adolescent years are a critical preparation period for healthy adulthood, involving the learning of lifelong healthy behaviors and the development of fundamental self-management skills.
- The audience will understand the pathway that adolescents follow to control their asthma. Adolescents must be considered as individuals, with their distinctive cognitive and psychosocial characteristics, and self-management education approaches should be specifically evaluated for this population.
- Audiences will gain insights into adolescents’ experiences in asthma self-management, including their challenges, attitudes, and desires for controlling asthma. This understanding will likely aid healthcare providers in developing approaches for communicating with adolescents, helping them to acquire asthma self-management knowledge and skills.
