Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Perceptions And Practices Of Adults With Asthma: A Social Cognitive Analysis, Kelly L. Andrews, Sandra C. Jones, Judy Mullan

Judy Mullan

This article describes a qualitative study that investigated the experiences, attitudes, and opinions of adults with asthma regarding self-managing their disease. Focus groups were conducted with 22 adults living in metropolitan and regional New South Wales, Australia. Key findings were that the perceived stigma of asthma, the need for social support, and the need for "asthma-friendly general practitioners" concerned participants more than formal self-management procedures such as written Asthma Action Plans and medication regimes. Social cognitive theory was used to explain the fluid relationship between persons with asthma, their environment, and their behavior in relation to self-management strategies and in …