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. 2010 Nov;47(5):472-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.03.009. Epub 2010 May 14.

Family support and asthma outcomes in adolescents: barriers to adherence as a mediator

Hyekyun Rhee  1 , Michael J Belyea, Judith Brasch
Affiliations

Family support and asthma outcomes in adolescents: barriers to adherence as a mediator

Hyekyun Rhee et al. J Adolesc Health. 2010 Nov.

Abstract

Purpose: Asthma morbidity in children is associated with family psychosocial functioning. Although the family plays a pivotal role in maintaining optimal asthma care, the mechanism of how family support influences asthma outcomes is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of barriers to adherence in mediating the effect of family support on asthma outcomes in adolescents.

Methods: The sample included 126 adolescents with asthma aged 13-20 years, living in the Northeast United States. The sample consisted of 49% Whites and 51% minorities, including primarily Blacks (38%) followed by Hispanic (11%). Adolescents provided self-reported data. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the direct and indirect relationships between family support and asthma outcomes.

Results: Family support was positively associated with asthma control and quality of life. These significant associations were mediated by barriers to adherence. Particularly, family support was found to reduce barriers concerning adolescents' negative attitudes toward medication and healthcare providers, which in turn improved asthma control and quality of life symptoms, emotional functioning, and activity domains. Adolescents' cognitive difficulty also tended to mediate the relationship between family support and emotional functioning.

Conclusion: This study highlights the beneficial effects of family support in improving asthma outcomes in adolescents. Family support exerts the positive effect by ameliorating barriers to treatment adherence in adolescents, particularly the barriers associated with negative attitudes and cognitive challenges. The findings underscore the importance of incorporating family assessment and intervention in caring for adolescents with asthma.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Theoretical Model of Barriers to Adherence as a Mediator between Family Support and Asthma Control and Quality of Life
Figure 2
Figure 2
Model of Family Support, Barriers to Adherence, and Asthma Control (control variables of age, gender, race, and income are not pictured).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Model of Family Support, Barriers to Adherence, and Quality of Life (control variables of age, gender, race, and income are not pictured).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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