The Effect of Online Peer and Adult Education Given to Adolescents With Allergic Asthma

The Effect of Online Peer and Adult Education Given to Adolescents With Allergic Asthma on Their Quality of Life, Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Disease Knowledge and Management: A Randomized Controlled Study

Objectives: To examine the effect of interactive online education given by peers or adults on anxiety, self-efficacy, quality of life, and disease knowledge and management in adolescents with allergic asthma in the 10-14 age group. Methods: The research was conducted as a randomized controlled study. The study sample consisted of 84 adolescents divided into experimental groups [receiving peer(n=28) or adult(n=28) education] and control(n=28) group. The adolescents in the peer or adults were given online interactive education concerning allergic asthma and the management thereof. The control group received only usual training.Data were collected using an Adolescent Personal Data Form, the State Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children and Adolescents with Asthma, the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Disease Knowledge and Management Questionnaire. Data were collected from the adolescents before (T0) and immediately after education (T1), and after one (T2) and three months (T3). This study is a non-blinded randomized controlled trial. . All screened adolescents with asthma were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: the peer or adults education groups that received a 6 weeks asthma education and a control group that received usual care. The three groups were then followed prospectively immediately, 1, and 3 months after training to evaluate the effectiveness of training compared with usual care.

The SES determines the degree of self-confidence of children and adolescents with asthma in taking precautions against their disease and in seeking medical assistance. This scale has 22 items. The highest possible score is 110 and the powest possible score is 22. The cut-off point score is 88. Accordingly, a score below 88 is interpreted as indicating low self-efficacy, while a score of 88 or above is interpreted as indicating high self-efficacy

Inclusion Criteria: Age was 10 to 14 years, doctor-diagnosed allergic asthma, without allergic rhinitis with a diagnosis of allergic asthma (by medical record), internet access via computer or phone, the ability to speak Turkish, willingness to participate. Exclusion criteria were those with moderate to severe cognitive or mental health impairment and a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis in addition to the diagnosis of allergic asthma (according to medical records).