Abstract
Objective
This study aimed to investigate whether bronchial asthma could be a risk factor for emotional well-being during adolescence.
Methods and measures
This is a comparative cross-sectional design. A total of 450 participants aged 12 to 16 years (M = 13.61 and SD = 1.84) were included (150 with bronchial asthma and 300 healthy). For both groups, self-esteem, emotional distress, problems with peers, family styles and psychosocial bonds were assessed. T-tests and multi-group structural equation modelling were used for comparative analyses, and the moderating role was analysed through PROCESS.
Results
The t-tests showed a difference in means between the groups, finding lower self-esteem scores in adolescents with asthma, but better emotional well-being, a greater number of bonds and healthier family styles than those of their healthy peers. In the multi-group, the moderating role of bronchial asthma on emotional well-being in adolescence could not be assessed. Moderation analyses indicated that asthma was a moderating variable for the relationship between self-esteem and emotional well-being in adolescence.
Conclusions
Asthma can be a stressful event that makes emotional well-being difficult in the adolescent stage, but there seem to be other more influential factors such as perceived family style or self-esteem.
Data statement
The present study was approved by the UV-INV_ETICA-1226194 ethics committee. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MPM], upon reasonable request.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.