Risk factors of non-adherence to guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19 among young adults with asthma in a region with a high risk of a COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

Objective: SARS-CoV-2 disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly contagious and spreads rapidly. The application of preventive measures has proven to be the best strategy to minimize the number of patients and the dissemination of and deaths from COVID-19. The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors that limit the adherence of asthmatic patients to measures that prevent COVID-19 among residents of a region with a high risk of a COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: Through a cross-sectional study, data from 2,372 participants aged 16-24 years were analyzed. To collect their information, a questionnaire was constructed using the Google Forms tool. Due to the prevention measures in place for COVID-19, the home quarantine of many people, and the lack of socialization, the questionnaire was distributed through email (Internet) and WhatsApp. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the variables. Results: The prevalence of asthma was 12.2%, and non-adherence to the guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19 was 53.1%. Approximately 30.8% of asthma patients did not comply with the basic prevention measures for COVID-19. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that being male, active smoking, and believing that COVID-19 is not a more severe disease for people suffering from asthma than others were associated with nonadherence to the basic protection measures established in the guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19. Conclusions: It is important for health professionals to advise asthma patients to comply with the basic measures of protection against COVID-19 and timely use medications for asthma control.

Public adherence to precautionary measures and preventive guidelines against COVID-19 in Sudan: An application of the Health Belief Model

“…Evidently, females were more likely to be willing to adhere to the protective measures against the disease. This finding was supported by several studies [14][15][16][17][18] which all agreed that females were more compliant to health-related guidelines than males. Intuitively, health educators should invest more effort in educating females who would, in turn, act as change agents influencing their social networks.…”

Explaining the reasons for not maintaining the health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk jobs: a qualitative study in Iran

“…It led many of the participants to see themselves resistant to the disease, which made them less likely to observe health norms. In the study of Vázquez et al, 2020, the results indicated that the misconception that COVID-19 was not associated with asthma played a major role in non-compliance with health guidelines [45]. A Ugandan study on misconceptions and the risk of COVID-19 found that participants believed that men were more susceptible to COVID-19 than women and children [46].…”

Asthma and COVID-19: a dangerous liaison?

“…In an interesting study, a cohort of 7000 patients had electronic monitoring of their controller and rescue inhaler use during the pandemic, and increased adherence of 15% was found in the controller medication use [122]. According to the results of a cross-sectional study from Mexico, male sex, active smoking, and the belief that COVID-19 was not more severe in asthma sufferers seemed to favor non-adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures [123]. It is therefore important that health professionals and patients with asthma maintain constant communication regarding the measures that patients must comply with to prevent COVID-19 and the timely use of medications to control their chronic disease.…”