We would have got it by now if we were going to get it…’ An analysis of asthma awareness and beliefs in older adults

Andrews, Kelly; Jones, Sandra C.

doi:10.1071/he09146

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Contrary to the general community perception that asthma is a childhood disease, 14 it does develop in older adults. 15 Asthma is difficult to diagnose in older people for a number of reasons.…”

Section: Complexity Of Diagnosiscontrasting

confidence: 58%

Asthma in Older Adults

Evers

Jones

Caputi

et al. 2013

Journal of Asthma & Allergy Educators

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Asthma is a serious health issue for older adults. Among Australians aged 55 years and older, asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality are relatively high by international comparison and compared to other age groups. As people age, the diagnosis of asthma becomes more complicated, primarily due to comorbid conditions. Treatment and self-management are also more difficult in this age group due to the different medications prescribed for multiple conditions. At the same time, older adults do not perceive that they are susceptible to developing asthma, and they do not consider asthma to be a particularly serious disease, especially compared to other diseases. Therefore, the consequences and impacts of asthma on older people are underestimated by the older adults themselves. Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness among older adults that certain symptoms could be indicative of asthma. In many countries, there has been a strong emphasis on asthma promotion directed at children or parents. Overall, these interventions have been effective and have contributed to the decline in asthma mortality and morbidity in children and adolescents. Many of these effective interventions have utilized a social marketing framework in combination with behavioral theories and other health promotion strategies. Recent social marketing interventions targeting other health behaviors among older adults have been effective in changing health behaviors, leading to improved health outcomes. Thus, we argue that the social marketing framework should be utilized to develop asthma initiatives to increase asthma knowledge and encourage older adults to take control of their respiratory symptoms.

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Section: Complexity Of Diagnosiscontrasting

confidence: 58%

Asthma in Older Adults

Evers

Jones

Caputi

et al. 2013

Journal of Asthma & Allergy Educators

Self Cite

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“…Asthma symptoms are often non‐specific, but especially in the elderly, with other diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and angina presenting with similar symptoms [39]. Because of this situation, patients tend to attribute their respiratory symptoms to either their co‐morbidities [40] or as a natural part of ageing [44]. While older patients often under‐rate their symptoms [6, 39], have poor perceptions of the severity of their symptoms, and demonstrate lower awareness of bronchoconstriction than younger adults [this lower awareness of bronchoconstriction was evident in both asthmatic and non‐asthmatic adults aged 60–83 (compared with asthmatic and non‐asthmatic adults aged 20–46)] [45], these misperceptions are likely to be exacerbated by cognitive declines associated with ageing [40, 46, 47].…”

Section: The First Hurdle – Patient Recognition Of Symptomsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Asthma and ageing: an end user's perspective ‐ the perception and problems with the management of asthma in the elderly

Jones

Iverson

Burns

et al. 2011

Clin Experimental Allergy

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Asthma and ageing: an end user' s perspective-the perception and problems with the management of asthma in the elderly AbstractDespite the high prevalence of asthma in the elderly, its development, diagnosis, and treatment are underresearched. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge in relation to management of asthma in the elderly -focusing on barriers to diagnosis and treatment and the central role of self-management. Asthma prevalence increases with age, as does the risk of dying from asthma, and with the ageing of the population and increasing life expectancy, the prevalence of (diagnosed and undiagnosed) asthma in older adults is expected to increase drastically, placing an increasing burden on sufferers, the community and health budgets. Asthma sufferers are more likely to be psychologically distressed and at a higher risk of anxiety and depression, more likely to experience a sense of lack of control over their health and to have lower self-reported quality of life. Asthma is under-diagnosed, and under-treated, in the elderly, further exacerbating these negative consequences. The review concludes, among other things, that there is a need to better understand the development and impact of asthma in the elderly, to increase community awareness of asthma in the elderly, to improve both 'medical management' and 'self-management' in this population and to develop more effective tools for diagnosis and treatment of asthma in the elderly. The paper concludes with key recommendations for future research and practice in this area.

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“…Older adults who have not received an asthma diagnosis tend to believe that asthma is primarily a disease that affects children, and do not perceive that they could be susceptible to developing the disease [21]. The experience of respiratory symptoms is often attributed to the normal ageing process [21,22], and those older adults with an asthma diagnosis often fail to properly self-manage their symptoms [8,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The experience of respiratory symptoms is often attributed to the normal ageing process [21,22], and those older adults with an asthma diagnosis often fail to properly self-manage their symptoms [8,14]. In addition, perceptions of symptom severity may deteriorate with age [23], some older adults may struggle to properly use their asthma medication [24], and some may not regard asthma as a chronic condition [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Get Your Life Back’: process and impact evaluation of an asthma social marketing campaign targeting older adults

et al. 2013

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BackgroundAsthma in older adults is underdiagnosed and poorly self-managed. This population has little knowledge about the key symptoms, the prevalence among older adults, and the serious consequences of untreated asthma. The purpose of this study was to undertake a multifaceted evaluation of a social marketing campaign to increase asthma awareness among older adults in a regional Australian community.MethodsA cohort of older adults in an intervention region (n = 316) and a control region (n = 394) were surveyed immediately prior to and following the social marketing campaign. Campaign awareness, message recall, materials recognition, and actions taken as a result of the campaign were assessed in both regions. Asthma knowledge and perceptions, experience of asthma symptoms, and general health were also assessed in both regions at baseline and follow-up. Analyses were conducted to explore the effects of the campaign in the intervention region, and to examine outcomes among different audience segments.ResultsThe survey data showed that those in the target segments (Wheezers and Strugglers) had better message recall, and were more likely to report having taken action to control their respiratory symptoms. The campaign significantly increased the number of calls to an asthma information line from the target audience in the intervention community.ConclusionsA theory-based social marketing campaign conducted over 3-months increased the asthma information seeking behaviours of older adults in the intervention community compared to the control community. Recommendations are outlined for future community health promotion campaigns targeting older adults.

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We would have got it by now if we were going to get it…’ An analysis of asthma awareness and beliefs in older adults

Abstract: Qualitative analysis using the Health Belief Model, suggests that heightened knowledge and awareness is necessary to bring about voluntary behaviour change in order to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity in the 65+ age group.

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

Asthma in Older Adults

Asthma in Older Adults

Asthma and ageing: an end user's perspective ‐ the perception and problems with the management of asthma in the elderly

‘Get Your Life Back’: process and impact evaluation of an asthma social marketing campaign targeting older adults

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