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Relationship between psychosocial factors and asthma morbidity
B Sibbald1, P White, C Pharoah
1Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Social Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School, London.
Family Practice
|March 1, 1988
Summary
Negative attitudes towards asthma significantly correlate with higher illness severity. This suggests that a patient's outlook on their asthma can worsen their condition, impacting overall respiratory health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pulmonology
- General Practice
Background:
- Asthma patients often experience psychosocial challenges impacting their health.
- Understanding the link between psychological factors and asthma morbidity is crucial for effective patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate psychosocial attributes of asthma patients.
- To determine the relationship between these attributes and reported asthma morbidity.
Main Methods:
- A two-year longitudinal study involving 207 asthma patients.
- Utilized postal questionnaires to assess respiratory morbidity, attitudes towards asthma, and family support.
Main Results:
- A significant degree of psychosocial morbidity was observed in the patient cohort.
- No significant association was found between family support and asthma morbidity levels.
- Negative attitudes toward asthma were strongly correlated with higher morbidity, particularly current attitudes with recent morbidity.
Conclusions:
- Patient attitudes towards asthma appear to influence morbidity levels.
- High asthma morbidity may lead to negative attitudes, creating a cycle of continuing illness.
- Interventions addressing patient attitudes could potentially improve asthma management and reduce morbidity.