A survey on awareness of the disease and pulmonary rehabilitation in bronchial asthma patients in the United Arab Emirates.

Abstract

BackgroundAsthma, a prevalent and severe chronic respiratory condition, can be significantly managed and controlled through informed awareness about the disease and pulmonary rehabilitation strategies, thereby enhancing patients' health-related quality of life.ObjectiveTo determine the knowledge and awareness of Bronchial asthma and pulmonary rehabilitation among asthma-diagnosed patients in the United Arab Emirates.MethodsUtilizing a cross-sectional study design, 237 asthma patients, aged 18 and above, were recruited from the Royal NMC Hospital, Sharjah. A comprehensive questionnaire was administered, focusing on two critical domains: understanding of the disease and knowledge about pulmonary rehabilitation. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 26.ResultsThe majority of participants (31.6%) reported the onset of asthma before reaching two years of age. Bronchodilators emerged as the most used medication, utilized by 31.6% of the respondents. Weather conditions (34.6%) were identified as the most prevalent risk factor. Chi-square tests revealed no significant correlations between gender and knowledge about asthma (p = 0.278) or pulmonary rehabilitation awareness (p = 0.929). A negative correlation was found between age and knowledge about asthma (pConclusionThe study implies that most people have a basic understanding of asthma. However, there are still significant gaps in their knowledge. For instance, many aren't sure how asthma is influenced by exercise or which parts of the body are affected. Also, understanding about therapies such as lung rehabilitation, and the contributions physical therapists can make in addressing lung problems, is only average. Interestingly, these knowledge gaps are not related to a person's age or their educational background.