Asthma and public awareness in Italy: results from CHAOS (Chronic Airway Obstruction Survey)

Abstract

Despite last years advances in asthma knowledge and treatment, its management and control remains a critical issue. Many surveys on general practitioners (GPs) and patients were conducted but no data, in Italy, are collected about the public awareness. The population cognition appears critic on decision maker health programs. This survey, with a face to face questionnaire, explored the perception of social relevance of asthma through the main chronic diseases and tests the disease knowledge in 1161 Italian citizens. Even if the sensibility of asthmatic (82) and their relatives (243) is superior to general population, some critical issues outcrop regarding beliefs, habits and therapy. People not related to asthma have not cognition of social and economic burden. Asthmatic group is not confident with therapy value and possibility to measure organic damage. Educational intervention would be addressed first of all to GPs and then to patients and their relatives, while on the other hand it is important to enhance the public and decision maker sensibility to reduce the disease welfare and social cost.

Keywords

• asthma
• public awareness
• perceptive survey
• social relevance