Child and Parental Perception of Asthma Control

Abstract

This investigation was conducted to determine if children with asthma and their parents had similar perceptions of asthma control. This retrospective chart review looked at the electronic medical records of 45 children with asthma, ages 4-11 years. The records were reviewed to determine age, gender, race, and medication management. The answers to the C-ACT were analyzed to determine if the child’s asthma was well controlled and to find out if the child and their parents had the same perception of the child’s level of asthma control. It revealed that 62% of the subjects had asthma that was not well controlled. When comparing the child’s weighted score to the parent score on the C-ACT using the signed rank test there was a significance of P <.04. Comparing mean difference in the two groups revealed that the children perceive their asthma to be less well controlled than their parents do. Asthma control was not achieved for the majority of subjects in investigation despite appropriate prescribing practices. Most importantly, the child with asthma may perceive his or her asthma to be less well controlled than their parent, therefore making it imperative for the health care provider to assess both the child and their parents with regard to asthma control.