AASEQ Demonstrates Validity and Reliability in Adolescent Asthma Management

The Adolescent Asthma Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AASEQ) has demonstrated validity and reliability in assessing adolescent asthma management, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal.

This study included 243 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years who were recruited in England between 2015 and 2016 and who had been diagnosed with asthma by a physician. To form the questionnaire, researchers conducted interviews with participants and performed a literature review. They then sought feedback from physicians, parents, and 6 of the participants to ensure both the questions and the rating scale were understandable. To assess validity, participants completed 2 scales (KidCope and the General Self-Efficacy Scale). Redundant items were identified through principal components analysis and removed, while internal reliability was assessed using Guttman’s split-half coefficient and Cronbach’s α coefficient. Pearson’s bivariate correlations were used to investigate construct validity.

After reliability and factor analysis, the initial 34-item scale was reduced to 27 items with subsections of symptom management, medication, asthma beliefs, and friends, family and school. Internal consistency was found to be excellent (Cronbach’s α, 0.78-0.91). The survey was completed twice by 63 participants, which demonstrated consistency with an intraclass correlation of 0.82. A direct correlation was found between general self-efficacy, asthma self-efficacy, and asthma management.

Study limitations included a lack of cognitive interviews, a small number of retest participants, and the use of self-reporting. In addition, a different study structure could have had the potential for more participants.

The study researchers concluded that “the AASEQ is a reliable and valid tool to use with adolescents with asthma and further work on responsiveness of the scale to interventions and validity in relation to objective measures of asthma management should now be conducted. With self-efficacy being important in the management of long-term conditions, the AASEQ should be useful in assessing adolescent asthma self-management. It should be a useful surrogate endpoint to assess the impact of interventions designed to optimise asthma self-management.”

Reference

Holley S, Knibb R, Latter S, et al. Development and validation of the Adolescent Asthma Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AASEQ) [published online May 2, 2019]. Eur Respir J. doi:10.1183/13993003.01375-2018