March 2009- AAAI Annual Meeting Older Adults with Asthma Poster

The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology will be held in Washington D.C. from March 13-17.

Presenter:  Alan P. Baptist, MD, MPH

Title:  Older Adults with Asthma - A Qualitative Study
Authors: Dr. Alan P. Baptist, Dr. Bibban Bant K. Deol, Dr. Belinda Nelson, Dr. Noreen M. Clark

Abstract: Although many asthma patients experience their first attack after age 40, the experiences and concerns of older adults with asthma, along with the management strategies they employ, remain largely unknown.  Qualitative research is one strategy that may be able to elucidate these issues. Six focus groups were held, each consisting of participants over the age of 65 with a physician diagnosis of asthma.  These focus groups were conducted either at an inner city location or at a smaller middle income city nearby.  Two of the groups were held at an assisted living facility in order to get broader representation of the elderly population.  Semi-structured questions regarding asthma education, symptoms, and management were used.  Emergent themes and domains were defined as distinct categories and coded.  A total of 46 adults participated in the six focus groups.  The mean age of the participants was 72.6 years, and 43.5% were African American.  The majority of participants had coexisting cardiac disease or hypertension.  Major age-specific domains identified in all focus groups were atypical asthma symptoms, inability to distinguish asthma from other medical conditions, use of complementary and alternative therapies, desire for independence in asthma management, and a lack of participation in asthma education.  Participants acknowledged that they did not commonly address these issues with their physicians or with family members.  There are concerns, challenges, and obstacles unique to the geriatric asthmatic population.  Optimal care will require physicians and researchers to explicitly address these issues.