Pediatrics & Therapeutics
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0665
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0665
+44 1478 350008
Chhaya Akshay Divecha, Milind S Tullu and Devika Ulhasrao Jadhav
Oman Medical College, Oman King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College, India
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Pediatr Ther
Introduction & Aim: Research shows positive effects of asthma education in improving parental knowledge, self-management skills and reduced health care costs. Such studies are lacking in developing countries. The aim of this study is effectiveness of educational intervention in improving knowledge and attitudes of parents/ caregivers of asthmatic children.
Method: Study was conducted in Pediatric Chest Clinic of tertiary hospital, India over 21 months after ethics committee approval. Recruited parents were randomized into interventional (group-1) receiving education module and control standard (group-2). Parents’ asthma knowledge and attitudes were assessed at baseline and five months post-enrollment using 25-item questionnaire. Detailed demographic data, clinical data and exacerbations during study were noted.
Results: 75 parents/guardians fulfilling inclusion criteria were analyzed (cases/group-1: 37 and controls/ group-2: 38). 8.3% parents/caregivers were illiterate. Around 36.9% had family history of allergy/asthma. Mean scores at baseline and follow up were 8.37 and 11.06 respectively. Parents had better on knowledge items related to chronicity, family history and chronic cough, home administration of steroids in acute severe asthma and maintaining records of clinical/medications for good control. Intervention group-1 showed significant improvement in most attitude based questions post-intervention as compared to non-intervention group-2, especially in improved quality of life after inhalation therapy and improved prognosis post-childhood. There was no statistically significance in asthma severity and control between groups at follow up
Conclusion: Small group education on asthma in parents/caregivers improves their knowledge and attitudes. Health care plans should invest in pediatric asthma education and identify key personnel and opportunities in routine care to impart the same.
Chhaya Akshay Divecha has completed MD in Pediatrics from the Seth G. S. Medical College & KEM Hospital at Mumbai, India. She has also obtained Fellowships in Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatric Intensive Care from the same institution. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at College of Medicine, National University of Science and Technology (formerly Oman Medical College) at Sohar, Oman. She has more than 10 years of teaching experience and has published many papers in reputed journals as well as contributed to chapters in four textbooks.
E-mail: chhaix@gmail.com