The Effects of Motivational Interviewing on Asthma Control Among Adolescents with Asthma

Abstract

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions of the respiratory system. Besides its physical health problems, asthma negatively affects quality of life. Psychological interventions, such as motivational interviewing, have significant roles in improving patient outcomes. As a client-centered psychological intervention, motivational interviewing may enhance motivation for behavior modification. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of motivational interviewing on asthma control among adolescents with asthma. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in 2017 on 64 adolescents with asthma who referred to the clinic and the pediatric ward of Valiasr (PBUH) hospital in Birjand. They were conveniently selected and randomly allocated to either a control or an intervention group. Participants in the intervention group were provided with motivational interviewing in five 60–80-minute sessions. All participants filled out the Asthma Control Questionnaire before, one week, and three months after the intervention. Repeated Measures ANOVA test as well as independent-sample t-test and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data at a significance level of 0.05. Results: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the groups’ demographic characteristics and mean score of asthma control (P > 0.05).However, one week and three months after the intervention, the mean score of asthma control in the intervention group were significantly less than the control group (P < 0.001), indicating better asthma control in the intervention group. Conclusions: Motivational interviewing significantly improves asthma control among adolescents with asthma. Thus, it can be used to improve asthma control and patient outcomes among these adolescents.