Effectiveness of Self-Care Management Program upon Knowledge of Patients with Asthma

Abstract

Objective(s): The current study aims to determine the effectiveness of the self-care program on asthma patients' knowledge and to find out the relationship between the patients' knowledge and their socio-demographic characteristics

Methods: A pre-experimental study at Allergy and Asthma Center in Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital was conducted from 30^th October 2022 to 2^nd, May 2023.  The study included 85 patients with asthma who were selected by using a non-probability purposive method.  The researchers used a patients' knowledge of self-care questionnaire to measure patients' knowledge. The data were analyzed statistically using SPSS version 24.

Results: The study reveals that patients' knowledge in all domains concerning asthma self-care was at a poor level in the pre-test. A dramatic change in patients' knowledge occurred after conducting the self-care program, with highly significant statistical differences (p-value <0.001) recorded between the pre-test and the post-test. The post-test had been done after 3 weeks of the program with remarkable positive improvement in the self-care knowledge of patients with asthma.

Conclusion: The self-care management program was effective in enhancing knowledge of patients regarding self-care management.

Recommendation: Based on the study result, the researchers recommend applying self-care guidelines in allergy and asthma centers of the Ministry of Health in the governorates. Booklets should be designed and distributed to patients regarding self-care management