The Relationship between Asthma Control Indices and Educational Level of Patients with Bronchial Asthma in Shahid Labbafinejad Hospital in 1394

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world and Iran. Despite appropriate treatment, recent researches indicate that asthmatic patients have poor asthma control. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between educational level of asthmatic patients and asthma control indices. This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on 80 asthmatic patients admitted to Shahid Labbafinejad hospital. ESMAA questionnaire was used to collect data to assess the level of asthma control, according to ACT (Asthma Control Test) and 2016 GINA (the Global Initiative for Asthma) guidelines. Patient medication compliance was evaluated based on Morisky medication adherence scale (MMAS). ANOVA test (Regression and Pearson correlation) and Chi-Square test were used for analysis of quantitative and qualitative variables, respectively. The P - value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Eighty asthmatic patients with an average age of 54.65 were entered to this study that of them 32 patients were at primary school level, 26 patients at high school level and 22 patients at university state. According to ACT test, 52.5% and 47.5% of patients were in control and uncontrolled state, respectively.
According to GINA classification, 30% of patients were in control, 45% in partially control and 25% in uncontrolled state. According to MMSA scale, 20% of patients were high adherent to medicine, 40% were moderate adherent and 40% were low adherent. In this study, there was no significant correlation between the asthma control in terms of ACT and patients' educational level. Also, there was no significant relationship between sex, asthma control and medication adherence. In addition, there was no significant relationship between educational level and drug adherence. The results suggest that there was no relationship between asthma control indices and patient's educational level. Perhaps other factors, other than education, affect the asthma control indices and medication adherence which requires more studies.