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Asthma management by preschool children and their families: a developmental framework
Insights
Mothers of young children with asthma actively manage care but don't expect their children to self-manage by school age. Asthma education should foster parent-child partnerships and involve family and secondary settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Asthma Management
- Community Health
- Child Development
Background:
- Asthma is a prevalent chronic condition in preschool-aged children.
- Effective asthma management requires significant parental involvement.
- Understanding developmental trajectories of self-management is crucial for low-income populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore asthma management practices among low-income, African-American mothers of preschool children with asthma.
- To identify developmental milestones for asthma self-management activities.
- To inform asthma education strategies for this specific demographic.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative interviews with 61 mothers of preschool children diagnosed with asthma.
- Information gathering from 15 nurses regarding a developmental schedule for asthma self-management.
- Analysis of children's age at diagnosis and initiation of management.
Main Results:
- Most children were diagnosed with asthma before 18 months and began management by 20 months.
- Mothers expended significant effort coordinating care with various individuals and settings.
- Mothers did not anticipate their children achieving self-management capabilities by school age.
Conclusions:
- Current asthma education may not adequately prepare parents and children for age-appropriate self-management.
- Future interventions should focus on developing parent-child partnerships in asthma care.
- Involving family members and secondary settings (e.g., schools, daycare) is essential for comprehensive asthma management.
Abstract:
Sixty-one low-income, African-American mothers of preschool children with asthma were interviewed about asthma management. Additionally, 15 nurses provided information for a developmental schedule of asthma self-management activities. Most children had been diagnosed with asthma prior to age 18 months. Children participated in asthma management by 20 months, yet their mothers did not expect them to be able to manage their asthma by school age. Mothers expended considerable effort in coordinating asthma management with others. We suggest that asthma education with this population promote developmentally appropriate parent-child partnerships and effective involvement of family members and secondary settings.