The theory of planned behavior-based education in improving asthma control and medication adherence
Published online: September 1, 2021
Asthma is an important public health problem and one of the respiratory system diseases with the highest prevalence. Several factors unique to asthma, including irregular prevalence of symptoms, use of multiple medicines, and an unfamiliar inhalation method, pose a challenge to medication adherence and disease control. Avoiding the factors that trigger asthma attacks and properly using inhalers affect disease management for individuals with asthma. Education programs that include information about factors that trigger asthma and emphasize the importance of environmental control have led to improvements in clinical results. Health education is one way to change behavior of individuals. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is one model to change the behavior. The current study was conducted to determine the effect of a TPB education program on asthma control and medication adherence.
The effectiveness of the theory-based education was evaluated by using the Asthma Control Test (ACT), Morisky Medication Adherence Scale 8 (MMAS-8), Inhaler Technique Checklist, Inhaler Use Scale (IUS), and Allergen-Exposure Avoidance Scale (AEAS). Şanlıtürk and Ayaz-Alkaya demonstrated the effectiveness of PDT-based education on medication adherence and disease control in a research article recently published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. They showed that theory-based education was effective on disease control and medication adherence for individuals with asthma, all of whom in the intervention group (n= 30), and 90% of whom in the control group (n= 30) were uncontrolled at baseline.
The researchers found a striking difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of asthma control and medication adherence after the intervention. The entire intervention group had good control, but only 20% of the patients in the control group had good control. They also found that the medication adherence level of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group.
In summary, the theory of planned behavior has the potential to help individuals with asthma change their behavior and improve disease control and medication adherence. It could be used in education programs.
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice is an official journal of the AAAAI, focusing on practical information for the practicing clinician.
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