Development and psychometric evaluation of the asthma Action plan questionnaire (AAPQ)

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Health Education
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Effective management of childhood asthma relies on caregivers understanding their child's asthma action plan (AAP).
• A validated tool is needed to assess caregiver knowledge of the AAP to identify educational gaps.
• Current assessment methods may lack the psychometric rigor required for reliable evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Asthma Action Plan Questionnaire (AAPQ), a practical tool for evaluating caregiver knowledge of their child's AAP.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the AAPQ, including content validity, reliability, and validity.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study (n=40) assessed content validity, item difficulty, and discrimination of the AAPQ.
• Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the AAPQ scoring rubric were examined.
• A larger study (n=80 with asthma, n=40 without) evaluated internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and known-groups validity.

Main Results:

• The 7-item AAPQ showed acceptable content validity (scale-content validity index = 0.98).
• Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .63) and strong test-retest reliability (r = .88) were demonstrated.
• The AAPQ effectively discriminated between caregivers of children with and without asthma (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• The Asthma Action Plan Questionnaire (AAPQ) is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing caregiver knowledge of pediatric asthma action plans.
• The AAPQ's validity and reliability support its use in clinical settings to guide targeted educational interventions for caregivers.
• Healthcare providers can utilize the AAPQ to enhance caregiver education and improve asthma management in children.