School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Barriers to Self-Management in African American Adolescents with Asthma

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2018

Abstract

Objective: To review the literature on barriers to asthma self-management among African American adolescents.

Methods: Review of the literature.

Results: Asthma self-management barriers experienced by African American adolescents are often related to developmental needs, lack of knowledge, and personal perspectives and experiences. Adolescents find managing their symptoms and adhering to prescriptive therapies a burden and desire to be more like healthy peers. As they struggle to identify with peers, they may engage in risky behaviors such as ignoring symptoms and delaying treatment, thus leading to poorer asthma control and health outcomes. African American adolescents struggle with perceptions of racial biases from health care providers and teachers that interfere with self-management behaviors. They also describe the influence of culturally based practices learned from caregivers that contribute to their misconceptions and inadequate skills in effectively managing their asthma.

Conclusion: Researchers should seek to develop interventions to address the unique contextual and culturally based needs of African American adolescents that support the development of effective asthma selfmanagement behaviors. This may include making use of family members (especially mothers) and extended support for self-management during this period of rapid growth and transition. Health care providers should consider a team-based approach to the adolescent patient. Such an approach should be grounded in recommendations from national guidelines that suggest a patient-centered approach to care that includes a partnership between the patient and the provider to address unique barriers to effective self-management.

Comments

Original published version available at https://www.mdedge.com/jcomjournal/article/177667/pediatrics/barriers-self-management-african-american-adolescents-asthma/page/0/3

First Page

421

Last Page

432

Publication Title

Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management

Academic Level

faculty

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