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Association of Asthma Illness Representations and Reported Controller Medication Adherence Among School-Aged Children
Insights
Parents' beliefs about asthma medication necessity and children's perceived treatment control significantly predict adherence. Children's own views on medication necessity are key to their adherence, highlighting their independent role in asthma management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Asthma affects millions of school-aged children, necessitating consistent controller medication adherence for effective management.
- Illness representations, or personal beliefs about a condition, can influence health behaviors like medication adherence.
- Understanding the interplay between parent and child illness representations is crucial for optimizing asthma care in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between parents' and school-aged children's (6-11 years) asthma illness representations and their reported controller medication adherence.
- To determine which specific illness representation domains predict medication adherence from both parent and child perspectives.
- To explore the degree of independence in illness representations between children with persistent asthma and their parents.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 34 parent-child dyads with persistent asthma.
- Independent reporting by parents and children on asthma controller medication adherence.
- Independent reporting by parents and children on asthma illness representations.
- Hierarchical regression analyses to assess illness representation variables as predictors of medication adherence.
Main Results:
- Parental beliefs regarding medication necessity versus concerns significantly predicted parent-reported adherence (β = .55, p < .01).
- Child's perception of treatment control significantly predicted parent-reported adherence (β = -.50, p < .01).
- Child's beliefs about medication necessity versus concerns significantly predicted child-reported adherence (β = .50, p < .01); no parent variables predicted child-reported adherence.
Conclusions:
- School-aged children develop distinct illness representations regarding asthma, which independently influence their medication adherence.
- Parental beliefs about medication necessity and children's sense of treatment control are important factors in adherence from the parental perspective.
- Children's own illness perceptions, particularly regarding medication necessity, are critical predictors of their adherence, underscoring their active role in asthma management and research.
Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between asthma illness representations and reported controller medication adherence of school-aged children (6-11 years) with persistent asthma and their parents. Thirty-four parent-child dyads independently reported on asthma controller medication adherence and asthma illness representations. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test parent and child illness representation domain variables as predictors of reported medication adherence. Parent beliefs about medication necessity versus concerns was a significant predictor of parent-reported adherence (β = .55, p < .01), and child treatment control was also a significant predictor of parent-reported adherence (β = -.50, p < .01). Child beliefs about medication necessity versus concerns was a significant predictor of child-reported adherence (β = .50, p < .01), and no parent variables reached significance. Although there are similarities between parent and child asthma illness representations, findings indicate that school-aged children develop illness representations somewhat independently from their parents and, therefore, are critical participants in both asthma care and research.
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