Knowledge of Mothers of Children with Bronchial Asthma
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- Category: Vol. 82, March 2014
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Knowledge of Mothers of Children with Bronchial Asthma, GEHAN M. AMIN, GEHAN A. ELSAMMAN and HEWIDA A. HUSSEIN
Abstract
Background: Bronchial asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood. Asthma constituting a serious public health problem all over the world. Despite many changes in therapy of bronchial asthma, there is an increase in the number of hospitalization and asthma related death. The incidence and severity of asthma are increasing, this might be related to increased urbanization, increased air pollution, poor access to medical care, and/or under treatment. Mothers play pivotal role in the child adjustment to the illness, especially children who suffer from severe episodic manifestations of asthma have been found to experience increased amounts of stress and anxiety over their illness and have difficulty in maintaining a sense of well-being.
Aim: The aim of the current study was assessing the mothers' knowledge regarding bronchial asthma.
Design: A descriptive design was utilized.
Setting: Study was conducted at outpatient clinic in one of Pediatric Hospital, Cairo University.
Sample: A convenient sample of 70 mothers of children diagnosed with chronic asthma.
Tool: A structured interview questionnaire schedule was developed by the researcher and used in the study which divided into 3 parts: Sociodemographic data of children and their mothers, asthma triggers and mothers knowledge.
Result: The mean age of children was 3.08±1.35 year, less than two thirds of children were males. The mean age of mothers was 29.4±5.2 years. More than half of mothers reported that the main source of their information was the physician. The majority of mothers did not know the definition of asthma. Two fifth of mothers mentioned incompletely clinical picture as cough and shortness of breathing. Less than two thirds of mothers mentioned incompletely asthma triggers as allergen and irritants. More than half of mothers know that avoid allergens and irritants can prevent asthma attack. More than one third of mothers mentioned asthma medications as bronchodilators. Regarding to medication's devices which can help during attack, more than two thirds of mothers mentioned nebulizer. There was no statistically significant correlation between sociodemographic characteristics of children and mothers with mothers' knowledge.
Conclusion: It could be concluded that, most of mothers had poor knowledge about definition, clinical pictures, asthma triggers, asthma medication, and prevention of asthma attack.
Recommendation: Educational programs about asthma should be conducted for mothers to inform them about asthma and how to deal with asthmatic children.