A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Illness Perception About Asthma Among Asthma Patients at a Referral Tertiary Care Public Chest Hospital in Delhi, India

Abstract

Adult patients visiting emergency room (March 2009-December 2009) of the public chest hospital for asthma exacerbation completed interviewer-administered questionnaires on sociodemographics, clinical history, disease beliefs, use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), and self-management of asthma after stabilization of their condition. Overall 87% patients believed that they had asthma when they are having symptoms, which is called as no symptoms, no asthma belief. No association was found between no symptoms, no asthma belief with gender, income, family history of asthma, and co-morbidity. Younger patients in the age group 18-29 years had four to five-fold greater odds and patients with education above 10th grade had three to four-fold greater odds of having the no symptoms, no asthma belief or the acute episodic belief. Acute episodic belief was negatively associated with beliefs about always having asthma, asthma being a serious condition, having lung inflammation, or the importance of using ICS, and was positively associated with expecting to be cured. All patients irrespective of their belief of acute or chronic nature of asthma had poor adherence to the treatment and other self-management behaviors.