AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightIn adolescents with not well-controlled asthma, scores on the medication treatment, symptom management, and asthma beliefs subscales, as well as the overall self-efficacy score, were statistically significantly lower.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
Aims: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between asthma self-efficacy levels and asthma control in adolescents aged 12-18 with physician-diagnosed asthma. Additionally, factors associated with asthma control status were examined. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, 108 adolescents aged 12-18 years with at least one year of physician-diagnosed asthma were included. Data were collected using a sociodemographic and clinical information form, the Asthma Control Test (ACT), and the Adolescent Asthma Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AASEQ). Those with an ACT score of 19 or lower were classified as not having well-controlled asthma, while those with an ACT score of 20 or higher were classified as having well-controlled asthma. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation analysis, and simple linear regression analysis were used for data analysis. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The average age of the participants was 13.9±2.18 years, and 60.2% were male. The mean total ACT score was 18.53±4.93, and 50% of adolescents were in the not well-controlled asthma group (≤19 points). Among adolescents with not well-controlled asthma, emergency department visits due to asthma attacks (p=0.005), hospitalizations related to asthma (p=0.029), and the negative impact of asthma on school/work performance (p=0.006) were significantly higher. The mean total score of the AASEQ was 89.91±10.27. In adolescents with not well-controlled asthma, scores on the medication treatment, symptom management, and asthma beliefs subscales, as well as the overall self-efficacy score, were statistically significantly lower. A moderate, positive, significant correlation was found between the total AASEQ score and the total ACT score (r=0.429; p<0.001). Conclusion: Not well-controlled asthma is common among adolescents and appears to be associated with increased healthcare utilization and negative impacts on school/work performance. Low asthma self-efficacy, particularly in areas such as medication adherence, symptom management, and beliefs about asthma, was found to be related to lower levels of asthma control. Therefore, in adolescent asthma follow-up, it may be clinically beneficial to consider not only symptom-based control assessments but also asthma self-efficacy. To better understand the direction and clinical significance of the relationship between asthma self-efficacy and asthma control, prospective and intervention-based studies are needed.