ResearcherID - CLICK HERE Scientific Journal Impact Factor (SJIF-2020) - CLICK HERE

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF PARENTS TOWARDS THE ALLERGY AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN THEIR CHILDREN

Dr.Maliha Bilal, Dr.Shehzaib Sohail, Dr.Muhammad Ali

Introduction: A chronic airway disease that affects a significant children population with limitation of their activities and school absenteeism is bronchial asthma. The present study was undertaken to assess the knowledge and attitude of the parents of children towards the disease. Materials and Methods: A study was conducted in Pulmonary Medicine department in a tertiary care hospital with diagnosed asthmatic children and their parents were enrolled and the study itself was cross-sectional in nature. Two questionnaire were used in the study, one of them comprising clinical aspects including etiology and regarding knowledge and attitude among parents regarding asthma was the second questionnaire. Results: 150 children who were rightly diagnosed of asthma were included. Each child visited 3 doctors before coming to us on average. Among 150 patients, ignorance was found in 77% parents about disease etiology, 41% believed that the disease is fatal, 54% parents were found to be reluctant to accept the diagnosis itself. 46% parents attributed the disease exacerbations due to multiple causes regarding precipitating factors. Almost half of the parents sought alternative medicine for management of disease. One third of them preferred to opt for homeopathic treatment. 79% patients and their parents preferred oral treatment, only 21% used inhalers for management. Compliance rate regarding inhalation therapy was found to be very low in patients. Conclusion: The awareness of asthma among parents of children infected with asthma was found to be inadequate. Aerosol therapy and medications as controller are underused and thought to be harmful. Strategies to aware the community about education and augmenting awareness should be undertaken to eliminate social stigma, and misconceptions about bronchial asthma.

FULL TEXT