COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF ASTHMA CONTROL: SELF-PERCEPTION VS GINA GUIDELINE IN PATIENTS ATTENDING A SPECIALIST CLINIC IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

Background: Asthma control is critical in reducing morbidity and improving quality of life, yet, many patients struggle with accurately assessing their own asthma control. Current evidence suggests that many patients may overestimate their level of control causing discrepancies between patients' self-perception and clinical measures, such as those defined by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Understanding these differences is essential for optimizing asthma management in specialist clinics.

Objective: This study aims to compare self-perceived asthma control with GINA-defined standards to highlight gaps and improve patients' outcomes in Nigeria.

Methods: It was a cross-sectional study, 100 asthmatic patients in a tertiary teaching hospital were recruited consecutively [79% females, age 38.1±14.6 years]. The chi-square test of association was used to determine the relationship between perception of asthma control and actual test scores of controls as defined by GINA.

Results: The association between respondents' perception of their asthma control and GINA-defined control was 2 = statistically significant (ꭓ 43.876, p = 0.001). Of the 19 participants categorized by GINA as well controlled,18(94.7%) regarded themselves as being well controlled whereas 1(5.3%) assessed symptoms as partly controlled. For the GINA partly controlled category 13(40.6%) appropriately graded their control as partly controlled while in the uncontrolled group, 22(44.9%) assessed their symptoms as uncontrolled.

Conclusions: Overall, the patients showed a good perception of their disease in comparison with GINA-defined criteria. However, the percentage was higher among those with well-controlled asthma compared with the other categories. This finding emphasises the need for continuous patient education.