The Revised Asthma Problem Behavior Checklist: adaptation for use in Spanish asthmatic patients

Behavioral problems associated with asthma management were examined in a group of 100 adult Spanish outpatients with asthma (57 women, 43 men; 17-69 years of age). All of them completed a Spanish version of the Revised Asthma Problem Behavior Checklist (RAPBC). Data about duration, severity, and self-management of asthma (self-efficacy expectancies and health care utilization), as well as dyspnea and FEV1, were also recorded. The highest-reliability Cronbach alpha indices were for the criteria related to emotions and behaviors that could precipitate asthma attacks. Concurrent criterion validity was examined first by Pearson correlations between the RAPBC scores and clinical data about asthma (duration, FEV1, and dyspnea), and second, by examining the differences in RAPBC scores (ANOVAs) among three severity groups of patients. Severe patients reported more behavioral problems associated with poor life-styles and self-management of their asthma and showed more psychological and physical negative consequences related to asthma. In conclusion, while the RAPBC could be considered a valid instrument to assess the behavioral problems associated with asthma in Spanish patients, and shows a good concurrent criterion validity, its reliability (internal consistency) with respect to life-style and self-management behaviors related to asthma should be improved, to ensure its utility as a screening instrument for behavior-related problems in asthmatic Spanish patients.