Abstract
Background: Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease in children and adolescents, disproportionately affecting minority adolescents from lower-income families (CDC, 2022). Adolescents from low-income and marginalized communities often face unique challenges with asthma control and management due to multiple adverse social and environmental factors. Caregivers play a critical role in daily asthma management (Margolis et al., 2019), however, self-management behaviors in minority families may be influenced by several individual and system level factors (Khan et al., 2021; Holley et al., 2017).
Purpose: This study aims to understand caregivers’ perspective on multilevel barriers and facilitators to adolescent asthma self-management in Camden County, New Jersey.
Methods: This qualitative descriptive study recruited nine biological mothers of adolescents aged 11-17 years with persistent asthma residing in Camden County. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via zoom using a standardized interview guide. Data were analyzed through transcription, participant observation notes, and thematic analysis to identify key patterns and themes. Two analysts independently coded the data and reconciled any discrepancies, and a third reviewer audited the codebook for consistency.
Results: Caregivers identified barriers for asthma self-management at multiple levels including, individual (i.e., activity denial or limitations, stress-related triggers, mental health issues-such as anxiety, depression), family (i.e., knowledge gaps, smoking, caregiver disability, food insecurity), and system (e.g., environmental pollution, school bullying, and limited medication coverage) levels. Facilitators of positive self-management included the ability to identify and control home allergens and triggers, consistent medication routines, environmental modifications, use of culturally preferred remedies, and child self-efficacy behaviors such as symptom recognition, inhaler use, and peak flow monitoring.
Conclusion and Implications: Caregivers verbalized the value of comprehensive asthma education, psychosocial support, and community-based interventions for better asthma management. Findings underscore the need for evidence-based, tailored, caregiver-informed, context-specific interventions that address the psychosocial and structural barriers to adolescent asthma self-management.
Notes
Funding Acknowledgement: South Jersey Institute of Population Health for Providing Seed Funding for conducting this Study
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, March 10). Most recent national asthma data. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm
Khan, S., Bajwa, S., Brahmbhatt, D., et al. (2021). Multi-level socioenvironmental contributors to childhood asthma in New York City: A cluster analysis. Journal of Urban Health, 98(6), 700–710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-021-00582-7
Beck, A. F., Huang, B., Auger, K. A., Ryan, P. H., Chen, C., & Kahn, R. S. (2016). Explaining racial disparities in child asthma readmission using a causal inference approach. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(7), 695–703. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.0269
Muñoz-Pizza, D. M., Villada-Canela, M., Reyna, M. A., Texcalac-Sangrador, J. L., & Osornio-Vargas, Á. R. (2020). Air pollution and children’s respiratory health: A scoping review of socioeconomic status as an effect modifier. International Journal of Public Health, 65(5), 649–660. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01378-3
Holley, S., Morris, R., Knibb, R., et al. (2017). Barriers and facilitators to asthma selfmanagement in adolescents: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. Pediatric Pulmonology, 52(4), 430–442. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.23556
Gibson-Scipio, W., Gourdin, D., & Krouse, H. J. (2015). Asthma self-management goals, beliefs and behaviors of urban African American adolescents prior to transitioning to adult health care. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 30(6), e53–e61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2015.06.012
Mammen, J., Rhee, H., Norton, S. A., Butz, A. M., Halterman, J. S., & Arcoleo, K. (2018). An integrated operational definition and conceptual model of asthma self-management in teens. Journal of Asthma, 55(12), 1315–1327. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2017.1418888
Margolis, R. H. F., Bellin, M. H., Bookman, J. R. M., et al. (2019). Fostering effective asthma self-management transfer in high-risk children: Gaps and opportunities for family engagement. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 33(6), 684–693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2019.05.004
Sigma Membership
Eta Mu
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Asthma Treatment, Disease Management, Self-Management (Psychology) for Teenagers, Asthma, Asthma in Children, Caregiver Attitudes
Recommended Citation
Pudasainee-Kapri, Sangita; Fu, Mei Rosemary; and Wunnenberg, Mary, "Caregiver Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Adolescent Asthma Self-Management" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 110.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/110
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-09-16
Caregiver Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Adolescent Asthma Self-Management
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease in children and adolescents, disproportionately affecting minority adolescents from lower-income families (CDC, 2022). Adolescents from low-income and marginalized communities often face unique challenges with asthma control and management due to multiple adverse social and environmental factors. Caregivers play a critical role in daily asthma management (Margolis et al., 2019), however, self-management behaviors in minority families may be influenced by several individual and system level factors (Khan et al., 2021; Holley et al., 2017).
Purpose: This study aims to understand caregivers’ perspective on multilevel barriers and facilitators to adolescent asthma self-management in Camden County, New Jersey.
Methods: This qualitative descriptive study recruited nine biological mothers of adolescents aged 11-17 years with persistent asthma residing in Camden County. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via zoom using a standardized interview guide. Data were analyzed through transcription, participant observation notes, and thematic analysis to identify key patterns and themes. Two analysts independently coded the data and reconciled any discrepancies, and a third reviewer audited the codebook for consistency.
Results: Caregivers identified barriers for asthma self-management at multiple levels including, individual (i.e., activity denial or limitations, stress-related triggers, mental health issues-such as anxiety, depression), family (i.e., knowledge gaps, smoking, caregiver disability, food insecurity), and system (e.g., environmental pollution, school bullying, and limited medication coverage) levels. Facilitators of positive self-management included the ability to identify and control home allergens and triggers, consistent medication routines, environmental modifications, use of culturally preferred remedies, and child self-efficacy behaviors such as symptom recognition, inhaler use, and peak flow monitoring.
Conclusion and Implications: Caregivers verbalized the value of comprehensive asthma education, psychosocial support, and community-based interventions for better asthma management. Findings underscore the need for evidence-based, tailored, caregiver-informed, context-specific interventions that address the psychosocial and structural barriers to adolescent asthma self-management.
Description
After viewing this poster and abstract, participants will be able to:
1. Recognize multilevel barriers of adolescent asthma self-management in minority and low-income communities.
2. Identify caregivers’ perspectives on strategies and facilitators that support positive asthma self-management behaviors in adolescents.
3. Discuss the clinical and policy implications of caregiver-informed findings on adolescent asthma care.