Navigating asthma—the immigrant child in a tug‐of‐war: A constructivist grounded theory

Abstract

Background Avoidable hospitalisation rates for Indian immigrant children with asthma is high in New Zealand and other Western countries. Understanding how children and their carers manage asthma may lead to a reduction in hospitalisation rates. The topic of asthma and Indian immigrant children's perspectives has not been investigated. Most studies on the topic focus on the experiences of family carers and health professionals. Practice cannot be advanced in the child's best interests unless the child's asthma experiences are explored. The following research addressed this gap by upholding Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, thereby giving Indian immigrant children a voice in describing their asthma experiences. Design Constructivist grounded theory. Methods Intensive interviews were conducted with ten family carers and nine children (eight to 17 years old). Child‐sensitive data collection techniques such as drawing, and photography were used to facilitate interviewing children younger than 14 years. The COREQ guidelines guided the reporting of this study. Results The theory, navigating asthma: the immigrant child in a tug‐of‐war, is the resulting grounded theory with the tug‐of‐war being the basic social process. This theory comprises three main categories: being fearful, seeking support and clashing cultures. The data reflected two types of tug‐of‐war: one between two cultures, the native Indian and the host New Zealand culture and another between family carers' and children's preferences. Conclusion Acculturation and sociocultural factors may significantly influence the asthma experiences of Indian immigrants. Relevance to clinical practice The theory may assist healthcare practitioners to better comprehend Indian immigrants' asthma experiences within their wider sociocultural context. Our research indicates the need for healthcare practitioners to work in partnership with Indian immigrant families to implement culturally safe asthma management strategies.