Abstract:
Background and objective: Effective asthma management requires educating patients
about the disease, triggers, and proper management protocols. Inadequate patient
education, negative attitudes towards medication and poor adherence to inhaler therapy
are common issues in asthma management. These factors can lead to uncontrolled
asthma, highlighting the importance of routine assessment of inhaler practice and patient
education to enhance treatment outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine
the knowledge, attitude, practice and beliefs regarding inhalers and associated factors
among patients with bronchial asthma attending the Respiratory Clinic at Teaching
Hospital Jaffna.
Methods: This mixed method study was conducted among 150 patients with bronchial
asthma on inhalers and under follow up for at least one month at the Respiratory Clinic,
Teaching Hospital Jaffna. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect
quantitative data from all patients who fit the study criteria, while two focus group
discussions with patients recruited by purposive sampling were held as part of the
qualitative component. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 and thematic
analysis for the quantitative and qualitative components, respectively.
Results: The majority were prescribed pressurized metered dose inhalers (92%). In the
sample, 88% of participants did not skip taking their inhalers. A significant association
was found between educational level and preference for inhaler medication over oral
medication (p=0.006). The study revealed that 27.3% used an inhaler with a spacer, and
83.3% were prescribed a different type of inhaler during exacerbations. No significant
associations were found with socio-demographic factors, except for religion in certain
cases. Both positive and negative aspects of inhalers were noted in the focus group
discussions. Only a minority of the participants had misbeliefs.
Conclusion and recommendations: Overall, the study highlights the diverse duration
of inhaler prescriptions and preferences among bronchial asthma patients. For better
inhaler utilization, misconceptions should be addressed and clear explanations should be
provided along with assessment of inhaler technique.
