Asthma self-management education in persons with work-related asthma – United States, 2012–2014

Abstract

Objective: According to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP), self-management education is an integral component of effective asthma care and should be offered to every patient with asthma. To estimate the proportion of persons with work-related asthma (WRA) who received asthma self-management education.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 2012–2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Asthma Call-back Survey data was conducted among ever-employed adults (≥18 years) with current asthma from 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Results: Adults with WRA were significantly more likely than those with non-WRA to have ever taken a course to manage their asthma (15.7% versus 6.5%; PR = 2.1), been given an asthma action plan (43.5% versus 26.1%; PR = 1.7), shown how to use an inhaler (97.2% versus 95.8%; PR = 1.0), taught how to recognize early symptoms of an asthma episode (79.4% versus 64.1%; PR = 1.2), taught what to do during an asthma episode (86.4% versus 76.3%; PR = 1.1), taught how to use a peak flow meter to adjust daily medications (57.9% versus 41.7%; PR = 1.3), and advised to change things in home, school, or work (56.9% versus 30.4%; PR = 2.0). Moreover, targets for corresponding Healthy People 2020 respiratory disease objectives were met only among adults with WRA.

Conclusions: Although adults with WRA were more likely to have received asthma self-management education, results suggest missed opportunities to provide asthma self-management education. Every healthcare visit should be used as an opportunity to discuss asthma self-management.

Keywords:

• WRA
• occupational health
• NAEPP
• BRFSS
• ACBS

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System state coordinators for their assistance in collecting the data used in this analysis. The authors also thank Dr. Michelle Cloutier, Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Health and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and Dr. Joy Hsu, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for their helpful comments.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).