Corticosteroid phobia among parents of asthmatic children

Abstract

Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases among children.Its prevalence and morbidity have been rising in recent decades. Pediatricasthma causes a significant burden on families; allergen-avoidance measures,uncontrolled disease, and disease severity which are the major cost predictorsof childhood asthma in Turkey. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are consideredas cornerstone medications in asthma management which reduce asthmamorbidity and mortality. Our aim was to address corticosteroid phobia incaregivers of asthmatic children and its impact on asthma management.Five hundred caregivers of asthmatic children were interviewed using structuredquestionnaire in this study.Over fifty percent of the caregivers (56.8%), most of whom (82.6%) are alreadyaware of using corticosteroids in their anti-asthma drug regimen, mentionedthat they are afraid of using them. Almost one fourth of caregivers (24.8%)made either some changes in their treatment regimen or stopped using thedrugs due to corticophobia. Of the caregivers 55.2% had no idea about theside effects of corticosteroids and only 12.6% of them mentioned that theywere informed by their physicians about the effects of corticosteroids. Anychange in asthma treatment regimen due to corticophobia was found to berelated with poor asthma control level (p: 0.004).The impact of parental information about the effects and importance of steroidsgiven by the physicians on better asthma control was found to be highlysignificant (p