Parental perceptions and beliefs about childhood asthma: a cross-sectional study.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Aim
To assess parental perceptions and beliefs about asthma in children.Methods
We invited 6000 children aged 3 to 15 years from different schools in Lebanon to participate in the study from September 2007 to May 2008. In the first phase, in order to determine the prevalence of asthma in children, parents of all participating children filled out a small questionnaire. In the second phase, only parents of children with asthma filled out a detailed questionnaire about their perceptions of asthma.Results
Phase I included parents of 4051 children, 574 (14%) of whom had asthma and were recruited to phase II. Out of these, 389 parents entered the final data analysis. Around 54% of parents believed that asthma was hereditary and 7% believed it was contagious. When asked about triggering factors, 51% stated virus infection, 75% dust, and 17% food. Sixty percent of children with asthma lived with someone who smoked. Sixty-seven percent of parents believed that herbs had a role in asthma treatment and only 49% received asthma education. There was a significant difference in education level (P=0.01) between the parents who denied the label of asthma (79%) and those who accepted it (21%). Sixty-seven percent of parents preferred oral over inhaler treatment, 48% believed inhalers were addictive, 56% worried about inhalers' side effects, and 76% worried about using inhaled corticosteroids. Significantly more parents from rural (53%) than from urban areas (38%) believed that inhalers were addictive (P=0.004).Conclusion
Parents of children with asthma had considerable misperceptions about the use of inhalers and the safety of inhaled corticosteroids. To improve asthma care in children, it is necessary to provide adequate education to parents.
SUBMITTER: Zaraket R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3195973 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundCervical cancer is a major global public health concern, with 85% of cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In South Africa, it is the second most common cancer amongst women. Screening and treatment of cervical cancer precursor lesions is associated with a lower incidence and mortality. This research determines the associations between women's beliefs about cervical cancer and screening and the uptake of Papanicolaou (Pap) smears in Johannesburg, where cervical screening uptake is suboptimal.MethodsThis research was approved by the University of Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical), clearance certificate number: M170243 and the Johannesburg District Heath Research Committee prior to conducting the study. All participants signed a consent form prior to participating in this study. This cross-sectional analytical study used an interviewer-administered validated measurement scale based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) to describe health beliefs regarding cervical cancer and screening among 280 women aged 30 years and older, attending Johannesburg primary care facilities in 2017. Logistic regression models, with robust estimation of variance to account for clustering of women within clinics, were fitted to identify health beliefs (perceived susceptibility, severity, barriers and benefit, cues to action, and self-efficacy) associated with ever having had a Pap smear (screening uptake), while controlling for knowledge of screening and potential confounders.ResultsOf the 280 women, 177 (63.2%) had ever been screened, 180 (64.3%) were never married, 199 (71.1%) attained secondary education and 133 (47.5%) were employed full time. Women of older age (AOR = 1.6 for a 5-year increase in age; CI: 1.3-1.9; P<0.001), with higher knowledge scores (AOR = 2.5 for a 5-point increase in knowledge score; 95% CI:1.0-6.3;P = 0.051), with lower perceived barriers scores (AOR = 0.4 for a 5-point increase in barriers score; 95% CI:0.3-0.5; P<0.001) and higher perceived severity scores (AOR = 1.3 for a 5-point increase in severity score; 95% CI:1.0-1.6; P = 0.017) were more likely to have had a Pap smear.ConclusionsThis study shows that women who take up screening are older, more knowledgeable regarding cervical cancer and screening, less likely to perceive screening barriers, and more likely to perceive cervical cancer as a severe disease. This highlights that for public health interventions to increase screening uptake, the focus should include tailored behaviour change communication strategies that address women's beliefs regarding screening barriers and emphasize the severity of cervical cancer.
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Project description:BackgroundStudies in the USA report differences in opinion among parents of different ethnic groups toward genetic testing for their child; however, there are no studies that address this issue in the diverse ethnic and immigrant population in Canada.ObjectiveThis study aims to determine whether ethnicity and immigration status influences parental interest in clinical genetic testing for a potentially progressive kidney disease.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study.SettingParticipants were recruited from the Greater Toronto Area, Canada.ParticipantsThe study included 320 parents of children ages 1-18 years with nephrotic syndrome enrolled in the Insight into Nephrotic Syndrome: Investigating Genes, Health and Therapeutics (INSIGHT) observational cohort study.MeasurementsDemographic, ethnicity, immigration, and child specific factors as well as interest in genetic testing were collected through self-reported questionnaires administered at baseline study visit.MethodsLogistic regression models were used to examine association of ethnicity and immigration status with interest in genetic testing.ResultsThe majority of parents (85 %) were interested in genetic testing for their child. South Asian and East/Southeast Asian parents had 74 and 76 % lower odds of agreeing to genetic testing when compared to Europeans (odds ratio (OR) 0.26, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.10-0.68; OR 0.24, 95 % CI 0.07-0.79, respectively) after controlling for age and sex of child, age and education level of parent, initial steroid resistance, and duration of time in Canada. Immigrants to Canada also had significantly lower odds (OR 0.29, 95 % CI 0.12-0.72) of agreeing to genetic testing after similar adjustment. Higher education level was not associated with greater interest in genetic testing (OR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.64-2.42).LimitationsParticipants have already agreed to aggregate genetic testing for research purposes as part of enrolment in INSIGHT study.ConclusionWhile majority of parents were interested in genetic testing for their child, immigrants, particularly South Asians and East/Southeast Asians, were more likely to decline genetic testing. Genetic counseling needs to be tailored to address specific concerns in these parental groups to maximize informed decision-making in the clinical setting.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01605266.
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Project description:BackgroundNorway has one of the highest incidences of melanoma in the world. It has been suggested that the majority of all skin cancers could be prevented by changes related to sun-tanning behaviour. This study explores the sun-tanning behaviour of the Norwegian population using a modified Health Belief Model (HBM). Increased knowledge about beliefs, attitudes and sun-tanning behaviour can provide information which may be useful for future sun protection interventions.MethodsIn 2017, 1004 members of the Norwegian population completed cross-sectional online surveys. People who seek the sun for tanning purposes was the eligibility criterion for this study, reducing the study population to 569. With the aid of the constructs from the HBM, predictive factors explaining sun-tanning behaviour were determined using multivariate linear regression adjusted for demographics (gender, age, education and income). Furthermore, the predictor variables, empowerment and benefits of tanning, were added to the model.ResultsFive of the constructs in the modified HBM showed significant correlation with sun-tanning behaviour using bivariate analysis. The strongest correlation was perceived barriers of sun protection (0.42), with the next strongest being the benefits of tanning (0.30). The modified model explained 31% of the variation in sun-tanning behaviour using multivariate analysis. Significant predictors from the HBM to sun-tanning behaviour were perceived barriers to sun protection (Beta?=?0.36, p?<?0.001) and the severity of melanoma (Beta?=?-?0.20, p?<?0.001). In addition, empowerment (Beta?=?0.05, p?=?0.05) and the benefits of tanning (Beta?=?0.28, p?<?0.001) proved to be variables with significant effect on sun-tanning behaviour. The demographic factors age, education and income were also associated with sun-tanning behaviour (p?<?0.05).ConclusionBased on the results of this study, several factors in the modified HBM had a significant impact on Norwegians' sun-tanning behaviour. The results indicate that future sun protection interventions should focus on reducing barriers in relation to sun protection behaviour, as well as emphasizing the severity of adverse tanning behaviour and melanoma. Efforts to alter the perceptions of the beneficial factors of tanning behaviour can also be appropriate in health promotion campaigns and interventions. Finally, implementing empowerment strategies could have a positive effect on promoting healthy sun-tanning behaviour.
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