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. 2025 Feb;44(2):129-139.
doi: 10.1037/hea0001406. Epub 2024 Sep 26.

Multilevel facilitators of pediatric asthma outcomes: The role of caregiver self-efficacy

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Multilevel facilitators of pediatric asthma outcomes: The role of caregiver self-efficacy

David A Fedele et al. Health Psychol. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: Caregivers' self-efficacy for managing their child's asthma appears to influence their success with managing their child's disease. We examined how caregiver self-efficacy operates in the context of multilevel social-environmental support factors to shape asthma outcomes.

Method: Caregivers of children (< 18 years old) with asthma completed surveys at baseline (T1) and 3 months later (T2). At T1, caregivers (n = 814) rated health care provider communication, family collaboration, community resources, socioeconomic status (SES), objective numeracy, caregiver global health, and caregiver self-efficacy for managing their child's asthma. At T1 and T2 (n = 401), caregivers rated their asthma management behaviors and their child's asthma-related morbidity and quality of life. We used structural equation models to test whether caregiver self-efficacy mediated the associations between support factors and outcomes.

Results: For T1 caregiver asthma management behavior, we observed positive indirect effects through self-efficacy for community resources and caregiver global health, and an unexpected negative indirect effect for SES. For T2 caregiver asthma management behavior, we observed no indirect effects. For T1 child asthma-related morbidity, we found positive indirect effects through self-efficacy for community resources and caregiver global health, and a negative indirect effect for SES. For child asthma-related morbidity at T2, the indirect effects found at T1 remained significant.

Conclusions: Social-environmental factors may be an underrecognized driver of caregiver self-efficacy and its consequent child asthma outcomes. Interventions focused on building resources at the community level and strategies that promote caregiver health could empower caregivers with greater self-efficacy and improve asthma outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Objetivo: La autoeficacia de los cuidadores para controlar el asma de sus hijos parece influir en su éxito en el control de la enfermedad de sus hijos. Examinamos cómo opera la autoeficacia del cuidador en el contexto de factores de apoyo socioambientales multinivel para dar forma a los resultados del asma.

Métodos: Los cuidadores de niños (<18 años de edad) con asma completaron encuestas al inicio (T1) y 3 meses después (T2). En T1, los cuidadores (n = 814) calificaron la comunicación con el proveedor de atención médica, la colaboración familiar, los recursos comunitarios, el nivel socio económico (SES, por sus siglas en inglés), aritmética objetiva, la salud global del cuidador y la autoeficacia del cuidador para controlar el asma de su niño(a). En T1 y T2 (n = 401), los cuidadores calificaron sus conductas de manejo del asma y la morbilidad y calidad de vida relacionadas con el asma de su niño(a). Utilizamos modelos de ecuaciones estructurales para probar si la autoeficacia del cuidador mediaba las asociaciones entre los factores de apoyo y los resultados.

Resultados: Para el comportamiento de manejo del asma del cuidador T1, observamos efectos indirectos positivos a través de la autoeficacia para los recursos comunitarios y la salud global del cuidador, y un efecto indirecto negativo inesperado para el SES. Para el comportamiento de manejo del asma del cuidador T2, no observamos efectos indirectos. Para la morbilidad relacionada con el asma infantil T1, encontramos efectos indirectos positivos a través de la autoeficacia para los recursos comunitarios y la salud global de los cuidadores, y un efecto indirecto negativo para el SES. Para la morbilidad infantil relacionada con el asma en T2, los efectos indirectos encontrados en T1 siguieron siendo significativos.

Conclusiones: Los factores socioambientales pueden ser un factor poco reconocido de la autoeficacia del cuidador y sus consiguientes resultados en el asma infantil. Las intervenciones centradas en la creación de recursos a nivel comunitario y estrategias que promuevan la salud de los cuidadores podrían empoderar a los cuidadores con mayor autoeficacia y mejorar los resultados del asma.

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