Online Program

325719
Merging theory and formative data to create an adolescent asthma self-management app


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 12:50 p.m. - 1:10 p.m.

Delesha Carpenter, PhD, MSPH, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Asheville, NC
Lorie Geryk, PhD, MPH, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Adam Sage, MS, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Courtney Arrindell, Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Deborah Tate, PhD, Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Betsy L. Sleath, PhD, Cecil Sheps Center for Health Services Research and School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Introduction. Although asthma self-management applications (apps) have proliferated recently, to our knowledge, a self-management app has not been developed specifically for adolescents. We describe how we integrated formative data from adolescents and their social network members with constructs from Self-Regulation Theory to create a prototype for an adolescent asthma self-management app.

Methods. We recruited adolescents (ages 12-16) with persistent asthma (n=20), their caregivers (n=20), friends (n=3), and physicians (n=6) from two pediatric practices in North Carolina. Participants were asked to critique two existing self-management apps after a clinic visit and again after one week of app use. During semi-structured interviews, participants identified the app features they found most useful for managing asthma. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using MAXQDA. Qualitative themes were then mapped onto Self-Regulation Theory constructs (italicized below) to identify the features that were most likely to promote self-management behaviors.

Results. Adolescents were primarily Black (47%) and male (60%). The following features promote self-observation, or self-monitoring, behaviors: daily control quizzes and symptom-tracking and medication-tracking charts. These charting features are linked to the adolescent’s asthma action plan to encourage adolescents to self-judge the severity of their asthma. Optional email/text features allow adolescents to engage supportive others when their asthma is not well-controlled. Technical advice from role models and credible sources is linked to the app to promote knowledge, more positive self-management outcome expectations, and increased self-efficacy.

Conclusions. Self-Regulation Theory serves as a useful guide for developing a theory-based app prototype to increase adolescent asthma self-management.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Explain how Self-Regulation Theory can serve as a guide for developing a chronic disease self-management a Describe how we integrated formative data from adolescents and their social network members with constructs from Self-Regulation Theory to develop an asthma self-management app prototype Demonstrate features from our adolescent asthma self-management app prototype

Keyword(s): Asthma, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Certified Respiratory Therapist and behavioral researcher with over 10 years of experience in pediatric asthma. I have published 10 peer-reviewed articles in the area of pediatric asthma and have been the principal or co-principal investigator on 2 asthma related grants.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.