Asthma treatment in children and adolescents in an urban area in southern Brazil: popular myths and features

• Published in: Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 136 - 142
• Main Authors: Roncada, Cristian, Oliveira, Suelen Goecks de, Cidade, Simone Falcão, Rafael, Joseane Guimarães, Ojeda, Beatriz Sebben, Santos, Beatriz Regina Lara Dos, Gustavo, Andréia da Silva, Pitrez, Paulo Márcio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisiologia 01-04-2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; Adult; Age Factors; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - therapeutic use; Asma/prevenção & controle; Asma/terapia; Asthma - therapy; Brazil; Case-Control Studies; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Culture; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Legal Guardians - statistics & numerical data; Male; Metered Dose Inhalers - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Original; Parents; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; Saúde da criança; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban Population; Young Adult; Asthma/therapy; Asthma/prevention & control; Saúde da criança; Asma/prevenção & controle; Asma/terapia; Child health
• ISSN: 1806-3713; 1806-3756; 1806-3756; 1806-3713
• DOI: 10.1590/S1806-37562015000000166

To describe the frequency of popular myths about and features of asthma treatment in children and adolescents in an urban area in southern Brazil.
The parents or legal guardians of public school students (8-16 years of age) completed a specific questionnaire regarding their understanding of asthma, asthma control, and treatment characteristics. The sample included parents or legal guardians of students with asthma (n = 127) and healthy controls (n = 124).
The study involved 251 parents or legal guardians, of whom 127 (68.5%) were the mothers and 130 (51.8%) were White. The mean age of these participants was 38.47 ± 12.07 years. Of the participants in the asthma and control groups, 37 (29.1%) and 26 (21.0%), respectively, reported being afraid of using asthma medications, whereas 61 (48%) and 56 (45.2%), respectively, believed that using a metered dose inhaler can lead to drug dependence. However, only 17 (13.4%) and 17 (13.7%) of the participants in the asthma and control groups, respectively, reported being afraid of using oral corticosteroids. In the asthma group, 55 students (43.3%) were diagnosed with uncontrolled asthma, only 41 (32.3%) had a prescription or written treatment plan, and 38 (29.9%) used asthma medications regularly.
Popular myths about asthma treatment were common in our sample, as were uncontrolled asthma and inappropriate asthma management. Further studies in this field should be conducted in other developing countries, as should evaluations of pediatric asthma treatment programs in public health systems.