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A descriptive study of the perceptions of young adults with asthma : their health problems, associated learning needs, and relationships between selected demographic and personal variables, and perceived learning needs

University of British Columbia

The Incentive for doing this research originated from a concern for the provision of relevant health education for young adults with bronchial asthma of the extrinsic type. The study describes the perceptions of young adults with asthma in respect to their health problems related to asthma, their associated learning needs, and determines relationships between selected demographic and personal variables and perceived learning needs. Survey methodology was used. Twenty young adult participants, between the ages of 20 - 45 and who had extrinsic asthma, were interviewed. The U.B.C. Model for Nursing (1980) facilitated the attainment and organization of participant perceptions. Statistical analysis was done using Fisher's Exact Test to determine relationships between selected demographic and personal variables, and perceived learning needs. The findings revealed that the common health problems of young adults with asthma were: lifestyle, symptom control, self-esteem, social isolation, adjustment, psychological and intervention problems. Common learning needs were associated with symptom control (the majority of the learning needs identified), lifestyle, and interaction problems. The learning needs described did not however address the multiple health problems which had been identified by the sample. Lastly, relationships existed between two personal variables (length of time diagnosed and how frequently professional health care due to asthma was sought), and one demographic variable (having dependents — children) and perceived learning needs. These findings suggested the following conclusions: that the health problems and learning needs of young adults with asthma of the extrinsic type were multiple, pervasive and diverse (this finding is congruous with what has been established in the allied health literature); that the diversity in perceived learning needs, among the participants, were statistically related to personal or demographic variables; and finally that there was some incongruence between the health problems experienced by the participants and their associated learning needs.

Text

2010-06-14

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25731

Nursing

University of British Columbia

Graduate