Adolescents' practical knowledge of asthma self-management and experiences in the context of acute asthma: a qualitative content analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize adolescents' practical knowledge of asthma self-management and experiences during acute asthma episodes, and compare practical knowledge between minority and non-minority groups. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis using a qualitative descriptive design of textual data collected from 126 adolescents that participated in a randomized controlled trial of an asthma self-management program. Directed content analysis was conducted using four constructs of asthma self-management including symptom prevention, symptom monitoring, acute symptom management, and symptom communication. RESULTS: Most of the adolescents knew how to prevent exercised-induced bronchoconstriction, but had limited understanding about how to assess and monitor the severity of acute symptoms, appropriately use bronchodilators, seek timely medical help, and communicate acute symptoms to caregivers or healthcare providers during a slow-onset and rapid-onset asthma attack. More minority participants monitored asthma using peak expiratory flow than non-minority participants, who often relied on symptom-based monitoring. Minority adolescents more frequently mentioned bronchodilator use to manage asthma attacks, while non-minority adolescents often reported use of complementary and alternative approaches. Minority youth mentioned accessing healthcare services for acute episodes more often than their non-minority counterparts. Minority participants mentioned communicating acute symptoms to their providers, or family members less frequently than non-minority youth. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents have insufficient practical knowledge about ways to prevent and manage acute asthma. Periodic assessment of learning needs related to asthma attacks should be considered a routine part of clinical visits for adolescents to provide targeted information support to address their identified needs.

Perceptions and Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Among Floridian Middle and High School Students: Secondary Analysis of Cross-sectional Survey Results.

INTRODUCTION: Rapid increase in youth use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) led the state and the federal governments to implement minimum-age policies to restrict minors' access to vaping products. Limited success of the age restrictions fueled efforts to increase the distribution age of all tobacco products to 21 (ie, Tobacco 21 or T21 policies). With limited data on the T21 policies, the current study examines the prevalence of ENDS use and the perceptions about ENDS among youth in the pre- and post-policy-implementation periods for one of these bans in the state of Florida. METHODS: This study conducted secondary analysis on the responses from the 2014 and 2015 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, which collected cross-sectional data. RESULTS: Compared to the data from spring of 2014, the minimum-age policy enacted on July 1, 2014 did not lead to a significant decrease in Florida's high school and middle school students' ever ENDS use (14.9% in 2014 vs 25.8% in 2015) and current ENDS use (7.5% in 2014 vs 12.4% in 2015). There was some ambiguity among students regarding the ENDS harm-more students in 2015 thought of ENDS as both equally (11.0% vs 7.7%) and less (32.4% vs 28%) harmful than cigarettes. There was a decrease in the proportion of students who were unsure about their answer to this question (51.5% vs 59.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Policy change alone may not be effective in shifting the trend of ENDS use among middle and high school students. Although students may know about some of the ENDS effects, many of them are still not aware about the harms. Interventions in school and in the community should be aiming to raise this awareness.