Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of the parents of asthmatic children in Maputo
S Mavale-Manuel1, N Duarte, F Alexandre
1Department of Pediatrics, Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique.
Insights
Parental knowledge about childhood asthma is poor, with many misconceptions about its transmission, curability, and impact on a child's life. Targeted education programs are crucial for effective asthma management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Childhood asthma prevalence is rising globally.
- Effective asthma management relies heavily on educating children and their parents.
- Understanding parental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors is key to improving care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of parents regarding childhood asthma.
- To identify specific areas of misunderstanding among parents of asthmatic children.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 152 adults accompanying asthmatic children to consultations at Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique.
- Data collection focused on parental understanding of asthma's nature, impact, treatment, and management.
Main Results:
- General parental knowledge about asthma was found to be poor.
- Significant misconceptions included beliefs about asthma being contagious (11%) or food-transmitted (4%).
- Over half of parents believed children couldn't lead normal lives between attacks, and many held inaccurate views on curability and drug actions.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for educational interventions for parents of children with asthma.
- Developing targeted education programs can improve asthma management and outcomes.
- This type of survey data is essential for designing effective educational strategies.
Abstract:
Asthma is increasing in frequency worldwide. The education of affected children and their parents is fundamental for the management of the disease. The aim of our study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of the parents of asthmatic children. We studied 152 adults accompanying asthmatic children to consultations in the pediatrics department of Maputo Central Hospital (Mozambique). In general, knowledge about asthma was poor: 11% of the adults thought that asthma was contagious and transmitted from person to person, and 4% thought that it was transmitted by contaminated food. More than half the parents thought that the child could not lead a normal life even during the periods between attacks. A large proportion of the parents thought that asthma could be cured by medical treatment in 7% of cases and by alternative treatment in 43% of cases. The precipitating factors were well identified by the adults, but they had an inaccurate perception of the symptoms of an asthma attack. The actions of the various classes of drugs used were poorly understood. Education programs for both the children and their parents should be developed to improve the management of asthmatic children. Surveys of this type facilitate the targeting of such programs.
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