Childhood asthma knowledge among first year nursing students in three European cities

There are no available studies that assess and compare knowledge of childhood asthma among subjects living in different European countries. The objective of this study was to determine knowledge of childhood asthma among first year nursing students during the first week of their training in three European countries. The participants' sources of information and other factors that might influence their asthma knowledge score (AKS) were also evaluated.

Cross-sectional design using a modified version of a previously validated questionnaire. The study was undertaken in 261 students in Cartagena (Spain), 202 in Manchester (UK) and 94 in Cologne (Germany).

AKS (maximum score, 27) was significantly higher in students from Manchester (18.3 +/- 2.6) than in those from Cartagena (15.9 +/- 3.1) and Cologne (15.1 +/- 3.6). In all three cities, more than 70 % of the students answered 10 out of the 27 questions correctly. Knowledge of asthma relievers or preventers was very limited. AKS showed a positive but marginal correlation with student age (r = 0.11, p = 0.07). Only knowledge gained from personal experience was significantly associated (r = 0.27, p < 0.001) with AKS.

This study provides valuable new information about the variations, sources and factors that influence knowledge of asthma among educated individuals living in three European countries. The better AKS of Manchester students might be due to the higher prevalence of asthma in the UK.