Knowledge Related to Disease, Awareness and Practice of Inhalers Use in Asthmatic Patients

Woo, Seung Hee; Kim, Kyunghee

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was done to investigate the relationship of knowledge related to disease, awareness and practice of inhaler use in asthmatic patients. METHOD: The participants in this research were 124 patients with asthma who used inhalers, and were admitted to hospital or attended outpatient asthmatic clinics. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire which consisted of demographic characteristics, illness-related characteristics, and tools to measure knowledge of disease, awareness and practice related to inhaler use.
RESULTS
Knowledge related to disease was statistically significantly different for age (p<.001) and marital status (p=.017). The mean score for awareness of inhaler use was significantly higher than the mean score for practice in inhaler use (p<.001). There were significant correlations between awareness and practice of inhaler use (p<.001), knowledge related to disease and awareness of inhaler use (p<.001), and knowledge related to disease and practice of inhaler use (p<.001).
CONCLUSION
Results indicate that due to the variation in degree of illness in patients with asthma, there is a need to develop appropriate education programs for people of different ages and also precise content for use of inhalers method of checking capacity washing and storing as well as directions about different kinds of the inhalers.