TITLE:
Perceived Barriers to Asthma Therapy in Ethno-Cultural Communities: The Role of Culture, Beliefs and Social Support
AUTHORS:
Michele Shum, Iraj Poureslami, Jing Liu, J. Mark FitzGerald
KEYWORDS:
Asthma, Medication, Family Involvement, Caregiver, Language, Culture, Educational Materials, Knowledge, Communication, Cost, Beliefs
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.9 No.7,
July
12,
2017
ABSTRACT: Background : Adherence to therapy is integral to successfully managing
asthma, which requires comprehension of what, when, and how to use medication
and diligence in following management plan. Asthma patients from
ethnic minority groups have more morbidity and reported filling their prescriptions
less often. Limited information is available in Canadian literature
on ethnic differences in their perceptions of asthma management. We aimed
to document patient perceived adherence to asthma therapy among targeted
ethno-cultural groups. Methods : We evaluated perceived barriers to therapy
adherence, including: cultural beliefs and practices, patient/care-provider
communication, self-management knowledge, and medication costs. We
conducted a cross sectional study and interviewed 85 Chinese or Punjabispeaking
adult asthma patients. Results : Lack of sufficient instructions from
physicians, language/communication barriers, lack of skills on how to use inhalers,
and high medication costs and medication side effects were most reported
barriers to proper self-management practices. Most participants lived
with others in the same household and reported high social support from
home caregivers. The influence of family on self-management practices was
obvious. Conclusion: Better understanding of patient needs, provision of
culturally and linguistically appropriate education, and inclusion of home
caregivers into the management practices are necessary to improve asthma
outcomes in Chinese and Punjabi communities.