Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that is more prevalent among children, associated with lung dysfunction, and may lead to death. A child with poorly controlled asthma was managed by assessing their adherence to prescribed preventive medication. Asthma exacerbation can be avoided by adherence to asthma treatment. The study aimed to assess factors associated with poor adherence to asthma control medications of the children caregivers in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This study was cross-sectional and conducted at Jazan for 3 months using a self-reported questionnaire. The study was performed on Saudi children diagnosed with asthma using inhaled corticosteroids alone or combined with other treatments.
Results: The study included 381 patients; doctors’ main source of information about bronchial asthma was 61.2%, and the most reported asthma symptoms were dyspnea 94.2% and cough 63.8%. The mean ± SD score of knowledge was 9.9 ± 3.5, and that of compliance to treatment was 5.2 ± 2.1. The compliance of parents was significantly associated with the relationship to the patients (p = 0.002), their education level (p = 0.046), and the number of children diagnosed with asthma in the family (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: There was acceptable adherence to asthma medications among caregivers. The level of adherence was associated with the relationship between the children and the participants, the level of education, and the number of children in the family diagnosed with asthma.
Key words: Adherence, asthma, parents, factors, medication.
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