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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Melissa A. Valerio, MPH, HBHE, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Hts., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-763-1457, mvalerio@umich.edu

A qualitative analysis was undertaken as part of the examination of the use of a diary in asthma management. The aim of the qualitative exploration was to improve the understanding of the completion, interpretation and use of the asthma diary. Second, the examination evaluated the potential of the diary to capture data on living with a chronic illness in the words of participants. Finally, the use of a qualitative method allowed for the exploration of the effects of writing on the daily management of a chronic disease. A randomly selected sample of women who completed the asthma diary were contacted to participate in a one-on-one interview. Twenty-one women participated in the in-depth interviews. Women participating in the study were from the Southeast Michigan area. Interviews were conducted during October and November 2005. The findings provide support as well as highlight areas for improvement in the use of a diary in asthma management. This study has identified ways in which an asthma diary can improve management and encourage self-regulatory behavior in adult women with asthma. The experiences of the women interviewed illustrate the ways in which the asthma diary made them more responsive to their asthma, caused them to become cognizant of its impact on daily routines, and helped them to identify and accept the need for care on a daily basis. The asthma diary evaluated appears to have enforced appropriate asthma management strategies and identified areas for improvement in a manner that was easily understood by the women.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the potential use of an asthma diary in chronic disease management by women.
• Discuss the role of self-regulation in the management of asthma by women.
• Assess the use of qualitative methods in the evaluation of the use of an asthma diary by women.

Keywords: Women's Health, Asthma

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 57.5 kb)