Paper
Friday, July 23, 2004
This presentation is part of : Child/Adolescent Nursing
Adolescents With Asthma: Effects of Personal Characteristics and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors on Health-Related Quality of Life
Carol J. Sapp, RN, PhD, Adult and Gerontological Health, Adult and Gerontological Health, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA, USA
Learning Objective #1: Identify two or more predictors of perceived health-related quality of life in adolescents with asthma
Learning Objective #2: Identify one or more predictors of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors in adolescents with asthma
OBJECTIVE: Asthma is the most widespread chronic disease of adolescents. Unfortunately, adolescents frequently do not practice healthy lifestyle behaviors, and such behavior often contributes to exacerbations of asthma and diminished quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine selected personal characteristics and health promoting lifestyle behaviors that influence the health related quality of life of adolescents with asthma. The theoretical perspective utilized was Pender’s Revised Health Promotion Model.

DESIGN: A descriptive, correlational survey design was used.

SAMPLE: A convenience sample of 99 adolescents was recruited from clinics of nine physician groups in a southern state.

VARIABLES STUDIED: The relationships between personal characteristics, self-reported health promoting lifestyle behaviors, and the adolescent with asthma’s perception of health related quality of life were examined.

METHODS: A descriptive, correlational survey was conducted using paper and pencil questionnaires. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, correlations and multiple regressions.

FINDINGS: The importance of age, perceived asthma severity, and health promoting life style behaviors as predictors of quality of life were highlighted. Other findings included the identification of health related quality of life and age as significant predictors of health promoting lifestyle behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS: Age, perceived asthma severity, and health promoting lifestyle behaviors were found to be predictive of perceived health related quality of life. In addition, health related quality of life and age were found to be significant predictors of health promoting lifestyle behaviors.

IMPLICATIONS: The impact that age, perceived asthma severity, and health promoting lifestyle behavior has on the adolescent’s quality of life was elucidated; as was the impact of age and perceived health related quality of life as predictors of health promoting lifestyle behaviors. Nurses should consider these variables when planning interventions for adolescents with asthma.

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