The Role of Education, Monitoring, and Symptom Perception in Internet-Based Self-management Among Adolescents With Asthma: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Thijs Beerthuizen; E R V M Rikkers-Mutsaerts; Jiska B Snoeck-Stroband; Jacob K Sont

doi:10.2196/17959

The Role of Education, Monitoring, and Symptom Perception in Internet-Based Self-management Among Adolescents With Asthma: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2021 Dec 7;4(4):e17959. doi: 10.2196/17959.

Authors

Thijs Beerthuizen¹, E R V M Rikkers-Mutsaerts², Jiska B Snoeck-Stroband¹, Jacob K Sont¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Medical Decision Making, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
² Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.

PMID: 34879001
PMCID: PMC8693204
DOI: 10.2196/17959

Abstract

Background: Internet-based self-management programs improve asthma control and the asthma-related quality of life in adults and adolescents. The components of self-management programs include education and the web-based self-monitoring of symptoms; the latter requires adequate perception in order to timely adjust lifestyle or medication or to contact a care provider.

Objective: We aimed to test the hypothesis that adherence to education and web-based monitoring and adequate symptom perception are important determinants for the improvement of asthma control in self-management programs.

Methods: We conducted a subgroup analysis of the intervention group of a randomized controlled trial, which included adolescents who participated in the internet-based self-management arm. We assessed the impacts that attendance in education sessions, the frequency of web-based monitoring, and the level of perception had on changes in asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire [ACQ]) and asthma-related quality of life (Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire) from baseline to 12 months after intervention.

Results: Adolescents who attended education sessions had significant and clinically relevant improvements in asthma control (ACQ score difference: -0.6; P=.03) and exhibited a nonsignificant trend of improvement in asthma-related quality of life (Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score difference: -0.45; P=.15) when compared to those who did not adhere to education. Frequent monitoring alone did not improve asthma control (P=.07) and quality of life (P=.44) significantly, but its combination with education did result in improved ACQ scores (difference: -0.88; P=.02). There were no significant differences in outcomes between normoperceivers and hypoperceivers.

Conclusions: Education, especially in combination with frequent web-based monitoring, is an important determinant for the 1-year outcomes of asthma control in internet-based self-management programs for adolescents with partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma; however, we could not establish the effect of symptom perception. This study provides important knowledge on the effects of asthma education and monitoring in daily life.

Keywords: adolescents; asthma; education; internet self-management; perception; web-based monitoring.

©Thijs Beerthuizen, E R V M Rikkers-Mutsaerts, Jiska B Snoeck-Stroband, Jacob K Sont. Originally published in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting (https://pediatrics.jmir.org), 07.12.2021.