Factors related to poor asthma control in Latvian asthma patients between 2013 and 2015

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate whether beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional factors are related to poor asthma control in a sample of Latvian asthma patients in 2015.

Design: Cross-sectional, self-administered survey.

Subjects: Three hundred and fifty two asthma patients (mean age 57.5 years) attending outpatient pulmonologist consultations in Riga, Latvia during September 2013 to December 2015. The sample size was calculated to detect a prevalence of poor asthma control of 50% with a margin of error of 5% and a power of 95%.

Main outcome measures: The validated Beliefs about Medication Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (brief IPQ) were used. Good asthma control was assessed using the asthma control test (ACT), a validated five-item scale that reliably assesses asthma control over a recall period of four weeks. Logistic regression models were used to predict poor asthma control.

Results: Patients who had a good control of asthma medication (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.61–0.79) or were confident that their asthma medication improves illness (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.74–0.95) had a reduced risk of poor asthma control. The more symptoms (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.44–1.84) the asthma patients perceived or the more their illness affects their life, the higher the probability of poor asthma control (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.31–1.65). Some beliefs of necessity and concerns of asthma medication were also statistically significantly related to poor asthma control.

Conclusions: Beliefs of necessity of asthma medication, cognitive and emotional illness perception factors correlate well with poor asthma control in Latvian patients.

Keywords:

• Medication adherence
• cognition
• outpatients
• asthma
• Latvia

Acknowledgements

I want to thank students of the Faculty of Medicine of Riga Stradins University for assisting me to perform the interviews: Dana Kigitovica, Alina Ivakina, Karlis Stirans, Renate Bumane, Laura Bubko.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dins Smits, Born in 1968 in Riga, Latvia. Graduated Riga Stradins University in 1994. Master of Business Administration in 2000 from Riga International School of Business Administration. Doctoral student since 2013. Has worked in general management in various healthcare corporations. Primary research interests are patient adherence to treatment.

Girts Brigis, Professor at Riga Stradins University Faculty of Public Health and Social Welfare. Head of Public Health and Epidemiology chair. Primary research interests, skills and expertise lie in health outcomes, health financing, diabetes, health systems research.

Jana Pavare, Associated professor at Riga Stradins University Faculty of Medicine. Paediatrician, Deputy Head of Department of Paediatrics at University Clinical Children Hospital in Riga. Main research area is Systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Baiba Maurina, Associated professor at Riga Stradins University, Head of Faculty of Pharmcay. Board member of the Latvian Pharmacists Society. Main interests are with various aspects of pharmaceutical care.

Noel Christopher Barengo, Assistant professor at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University Department of Medical and Population Health Sciences Research. Has 15 years teaching experience in epidemiology, research methods and public health. Primary research interests are prevention and control of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by a grant from Riga Stradins University.