An explanation of the relationship between the attitudes of adolescents with asthma toward their illness and their self-efficacy

Asthma is a chronic disease whose prevalence has been steadily rising around the world and it has an effect on self-efficacy, attitudes, and perceptions. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the attitudes of adolescents with asthma toward their own illness and their self-efficacy. The study was conducted with 200 adolescents ages 10–18 who were followed up after a diagnosis of asthma. A Descriptive Data Form, a Self-Efficacy Scale for Children and Adolescents with Asthma (SESCAA), and the Child Attitude Toward Illness Scale (CATIS) were used as data collection tools. The self-efficacy scores of the children and adolescents with asthma in the study stood at a mean of 53.3 ± 21.6, while their mean score on CATIS was 3.3 ± 1.0. No significant relationship was found between their SESCAA and CATIS scores (p > 0.05). It was also found that dust allergies could be a significant parameter affecting the child’s level of self-efficacy. The conclusion was that the adolescents in the study demonstrated a low level of self-efficacy and had a neutral attitude toward their illness. It is recommended to support adolescents in developing a positive attitude toward the disease by improving the management of the disease, regular use of drugs, compliance with the treatment scheme, and coping skills of adolescents.