Quality of Life in Children with Asthma

Marsac, Meghan L.

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_178

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 32 publications

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“…Inadequate management of asthma is life-threatening to children because it may increase the frequency and severity of asthma attacks 9-10 . Prior research has found that approximately 32% - 64% of children have poorly controlled asthma (i.e., chronic symptoms and episodic exacerbations) with a higher risk for physical activity limitations 11-12 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are children with asthma overconfident that they are using their inhalers correctly?

et al. 2015

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Objective The objectives of this study were to quantify the extent to which children with asthma are overconfident that they are using their inhalers correctly and determine whether demographic and clinical characteristics are associated with children being overconfident. Methods Children (n=91) ages 7-17 with persistent asthma were recruited at two pediatric practices in North Carolina and demonstrated their inhaler technique for metered dose inhalers during an office visit. Children were dichotomized into two groups based on how confident they were that they were using their inhalers correctly: ‘completely confident’ or ‘not completely confident.’ The mean number of inhaler steps (out of 8) children performed incorrectly was examined. We applied linear regression models for children in the ‘completely confident’ group to determine whether demographic and clinical factors predicted their overconfidence, defined as the number of inhaler steps performed incorrectly. Results Children were primarily male (56%) and non-Hispanic White (60%). Sixty-eight (75%) children were ‘completely confident’ that they were using their inhalers correctly. The ‘completely confident’ group missed an average of 1.5 steps. In the ‘completely confident’ group, males (p< 0.04) missed significantly more steps than females. The two most common errors were forgetting to shake the inhaler and holding their breath for 10 seconds. Conclusion Regardless of their confidence level, children in our sample missed an average of 1 to 2 steps on an inhaler technique assessment. Findings from this study provide new evidence that it is insufficient to ask children if they are using their inhalers correctly. Therefore, it is vital that providers ask children to demonstrate their inhaler technique during health encounters.

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