View in EDS

Age-specific factors influencing asthma management by older adults.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Age-specific factors influencing asthma management by older adults.
Authors: Baptist AP (AUTHOR), Deol BBK (AUTHOR), Reddy RC (AUTHOR), Nelson B (AUTHOR), Clark NM (AUTHOR)
Source: Qualitative Health Research. Jan2010, Vol. 20 Issue 1, p117-124. 8p.
Subject Terms: *Qualitative research, *Research, Asthma treatment, Older people, Social support, Public health research
Abstract: Although many asthma patients experience their first attack after age 40, the experiences and concerns of older adults with asthma remain largely unknown. We conducted six focus groups, each consisting of participants over the age of 65 with a physician diagnosis of asthma. Semistructured questions regarding asthma education, symptoms, and management were used. A total of 46 adults participated in the six focus groups. The mean age of the participants was 72.6 years, and 43.5% were African American. The majority of participants had coexisting cardiac disease or hypertension. Major age-specific domains identified in all focus groups were atypical asthma symptoms, inability to distinguish asthma from other medical conditions, use of complementary and alternative therapies, desire for independence in asthma management, and a lack of participation in asthma education. Participants acknowledged that they did not commonly address these issues with their physicians or with family members. Optimal care will require physicians and researchers to explicitly address these issues unique to the geriatric asthmatic population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Qualitative Health Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Although many asthma patients experience their first attack after age 40, the experiences and concerns of older adults with asthma remain largely unknown. We conducted six focus groups, each consisting of participants over the age of 65 with a physician diagnosis of asthma. Semistructured questions regarding asthma education, symptoms, and management were used. A total of 46 adults participated in the six focus groups. The mean age of the participants was 72.6 years, and 43.5% were African American. The majority of participants had coexisting cardiac disease or hypertension. Major age-specific domains identified in all focus groups were atypical asthma symptoms, inability to distinguish asthma from other medical conditions, use of complementary and alternative therapies, desire for independence in asthma management, and a lack of participation in asthma education. Participants acknowledged that they did not commonly address these issues with their physicians or with family members. Optimal care will require physicians and researchers to explicitly address these issues unique to the geriatric asthmatic population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:10497323
DOI:10.1177/1049732309355288