Abstract
Background: The asthma prevalence of Taiwanese adolescents is continued to rise and affecting sufferers’ daily life. With physical and psychological changes in adolescents, managing asthma can be quite challenges for them and could lead to negative social, emotional and physical impacts if not well managed. Literature found that adolescents with high levels of self-efficacy are more likely to be involved in prevention and management activities. The aim of this study was to develop an effective asthma self-management program by taking account for adolescents’ developmental stages and based on Bandura’s self-efficacy model for this group of young people.
Methods: A randomised controlled trial was used to evaluate effects of the newly developed Asthma Self-management Program for Taiwanese adolescents. The outcomes were self-efficacy, outcome-expectancy, asthma prevention and self-management behaviour, and controlling asthma symptoms. Translation and back-translation process were used for original tools in English. Good consistent reliabilities of Chinese versions tools were identified. A t-test or Mann-Whiney U test was employed to determine any mean differences of outcome variables between groups overtime.
Results: A sample of 83 patients completed (n = 43 in control group, n = 40 in experimental group) the study. The mean age was 14.3 years (SD = 1.85), two-third of the participants were males. Seventy-six percent (n = 68) had a mild to intermittent level of asthma severity. Significant improvements were found on self-efficacy, t =
-2.75; outcome-expectancy, U = 646, prevention behaviours, t = -3.62, and management behaviours, t = -3.19, but non-significant results for the outcome of asthma control, U = 716.
Conclusions: The results provide evidence to support the efficacy of the asthma self-management program based on the self-efficacy model that has taken considerations of developmental phases. The findings indicated the self-management program improved adolescents’ self-confidence in carrying out asthma prevention and management behaviours for effectively manage their asthma symptoms. Future clinical practice should consider delivering an educational program using multifaceted and interactive learning strategies.
Theoretical asthma self-management program for Taiwanese adolescents with self-efficacy, outcome-expectancy, health behaviour, and asthma symptoms: A randomized controlled trial
