Outcome Expectancy and Self-Efficacy in Adolescent Asthma Self-Management

Abstract

The relation of outcome expectancy and perceived self-efficacy for asthma prevention and management in adolescents to asthma self-management, adherence to treatment, and asthma morbidity was studied. Participants included 77 adolescents, 11 to 17 years old, and their caregivers. A high outcome expectancy was associated with greater asthma morbidity but was unrelated to self-management or treatment adherence. Self-efficacy was associated with adherence to treatment but was unrelated to self-management and asthma morbidity. The social cognitive theory and health belief models may not be generalizable to adolescents with asthma because psychological factors (e.g., internal beliefs and expectations) may still be developing in adolescence.