| Learning Objective #1: Understand how important the support of nurses is for good adherence of adolescents with asthma | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Understand the most powerful predictors of good adherence of adolescents with asthma |
Objective: The purpose of study was to identify the factors that predict adherence with health regimens by adolescents with asthma.
Methods: The data were collected using questionnaires. Altogether 300 individuals aged 13-17 years were randomly selected from the Finnish Social Insurance Institution’s register. Eighty-eight percent of the selected adolescents (N = 266) returned the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows software package. Logistic regression was used to find the factors which predict adherence with health regimens.
Results: Adherence of adolescents with asthma was predicted on the basis of support from nurses, motivation, energy and willpower as well as no fears of complications. The most powerful predictor was support from nurses. The likelihood of the adolescents supported by nurses to comply with health regimens was 56.88-fold compared with the adolescents who did not receive support from nurses. Another powerful predictor was motivation. The adolescents who had motivation to take care of themselves complied with health regimens with a 10.7-fold likelihood compared to the adolescents who did not have motivation. Also, the adolescents who had energy and willpower were 10.43 times more likely to comply than the adolescents who did not have energy and willpower. No fear of complications also predicted good adherence with health regimens. Conclusion: The most powerful predictor of adherence of adolescents with asthma is support from nurses. The adherence of adolescents with asthma is also predicted by motivation, energy and willpower as well as no fears of complications. These factors predict correctly 96 % of good adherence.
Implications: Support should be given more attention in clinical practice. Adolescents need frequent support and positive feedback as they strive to manage their asthma and normal developmental crises. Good communication skills, listening to patients’ needs and tailoring the treatment specifically for each individual constitute good clinical practice.
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