Unravelling Asthma Misconception: An Experience from Katsina, North-Western Nigeria

Background: Asthma remains uncontrolled in many patients and a possible explanation for these increased morbidities includes poor understanding of asthma, nonadherence to inhaled steroid regimens, and poor inhaler technique. Poor knowledge and high levels of misconceptions about the disease remain the bane in reducing its burden globally.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the level of misconception about asthma among the participants of the 2023 World Asthma Day in Katsina.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive design conducted among three hundred and twelve consenting residents during the 2023 World Asthma Day. The study obtained data using interviewer-administered questionnaires in two sections. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25.

Results: A total of 312 individuals participated in this study with a mean age of 35.73 ± 13.08. Of these, 59.6% (n=186) had low misconceptions about asthma, 40.4% (n=126) had moderate and none of the respondents had high misconceptions about asthma. Participants with low misconception were higher across age groups (>55%). The association between misconception, educational status, and ethnicity (p-value = <0.001) was statistically significant. An association was also found with the participant’s family asthma status, p-value = 0.002.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that the level of knowledge of asthma, symptoms and triggers is fair among the participants due to overall moderate levels of misconception. Continuous effort is further advocated towards public awareness and re-education of the populace to improve their knowledge of asthma for good treatment outcomes.