Validation of the patient-completed asthma knowledge questionnaire (PAKQ)

ABSTRACT

Background: Asthma is often suboptimally controlled, in part due to patients' disease knowledge. Understanding patients' knowledge, prior to education may help in individualizing content. However, there are no well validated or internationally relevant patient asthma knowledge questionnaires available. Objective: To translate and validate the rigorously validated Questionnaire de connaissances sur l'asthme destiné aux patients adultes (QCA-PA) based on key points related to asthma knowledge and self-management accordingly to the Global Initiative for Asthma report. Methods: Based on Vallerand's methodology, a preliminary version of the “Patient-completed Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire” (PAKQ) was back-translated and evaluated by an expert committee. A sample of 20 individuals with asthma pretested the questionnaire, after which 62 adults were recruited. Sociodemographic data were collected and the PAKQ together with a comparator questionnaire (Consumer Questionnaire (CQ)) were completed. Fourteen days after the first visit, participants returned to recomplete both questionnaires; half were randomly selected to receive a one-on-one asthma education session and again completed both questionnaires immediately after education, and at 10 days follow-up. Results: The PAKQ showed good internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.77). Moderate correlation with CQ (r = 0.596, p = 0.01) attested to its concurrent validity. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a single factor structure. A repeated measures ANOVA showed its reproducibility (n = 21:F₍₁₎ = 3.578, p = 0.07, η_p² = 0.152) and responsiveness (n = 21:F₍₁₎ = 26.041, P < 0.05, η_p² = 0.566). Conclusion: The PAKQ is a valid asthma knowledge questionnaire which is based on international asthma recommendations and could help healthcare professionals in individualizing educational interventions for people with asthma.

KEYWORDS:

• Transcultural validation
• asthma
• knowledge
• questionnaire
• patient

Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate and acknowledge the collaboration of Mark FitzGerald, MD, co-director of the UBC Institute for Heart and Lung Health, Helen K. Reddel, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, from the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia and Martyn R. Partridge, MD, FRCP, Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Patient Centred Care, Imperial College London.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Notes

1 Although we included pre-exercise doses in the total number of weekly rescue bronchodilator, in keeping with guidelines such as the Canadian Consensus guidelines, GINA does not necessarily include those.