Exploring the association between asthma-related knowledge among caregivers and asthma control in children

Asthma is a common chronic disease among children. Despite the availability of effective asthma medication, a substantial proportion of children continue to experience poor asthma control. Caregivers play a critical role in asthma management in children. We aimed to examine caregivers’ asthma-related knowledge and its relationship with asthma control in children and identify other factors influencing asthma control. This cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged 2–15 years with asthma who received inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) between 2023 and 2024. Six months after ICS treatment, caregivers completed a validated 16-item questionnaire assessing asthma-related knowledge (score range: 16–64) and sociodemographic data. Asthma control levels were evaluated based on the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria. Poor control was defined as partial or uncontrolled. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with poorly controlled asthma. The caregivers of 151 children participated in this study. The most common caregiver misconceptions included exercise-induced symptoms (31.8%), ICS safety (26.5%), and avoidance of exercise despite well-controlled asthma (14.6%). Poor asthma control was observed in 31 (20.5%) children. No significant difference in knowledge scores was found between the poorly and well-controlled groups (mean [standard deviation], 55.4 [4.0] vs. 54.1 [4.8]). Poor control was more prevalent in children aged ≤ 5 years and those with poor ICS adherence. Multiple logistic regression revealed significant associations among poor asthma control, age ≤ 5 years (odds ratio [OR]: 3.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38–9.2), and poor adherence to ICS therapy (OR: 5.2, 95% CI: 1.58–17.67). Caregivers’ asthma-related knowledge was not significantly associated with asthma outcomes. Adherence to ICS therapy was the only modifiable factor associated with asthma control, highlighting the need to prioritize interventions that improve medication adherence.