The relationship between self-efficacy beliefs toward self-management of asthma and asthma self-management behaviors in urban African American children

African American children in the United States are disproportionately affected by childhood asthma. Despite the enormous effort that has gone into developing educational interventions to teach patients and families self-management skills, morbidity and mortality rates continue to rise, especially for the African American child (CDC, 2005). In an attempt to increase understanding of the factors that may influence self-management of chronic disease, this study examined the relationship between asthma self-efficacy belief and asthma self-management in urban African American children. The study, using a descriptive correlational design, surveyed 81 urban African American children age 7-12 years old with self reported asthma. The relationship among asthma self-efficacy and asthma self-management was explored using the Asthma Belief Survey and Asthma Inventory Control survey. Results demonstrated a significant positive correlation (r=.529, p<.01) between the child's asthma self-efficacy and asthma self-management behaviors. As self-efficacy scores increased, the child's use of more asthma self-management behaviors also increased. Although limited by the design, this study continues to contribute to the body knowledge regarding the psychological construct of self-efficacy and how it is relates to asthma self-management in African American children. Health care providers who work with children with asthma may find that educational interventions designed to enhance self-efficacy may improve self-management in this population of children.