MONDAY, July 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Older adults with asthma and a greater desire for involvement in decision making have higher asthma-related quality of life, according to a study published in the July issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Keerthi R. Karamched, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues sought to identify factors associated with autonomy and to determine whether autonomy is related to outcomes among 189 adults >55 years with persistent asthma. Preferences for autonomy were assessed using the Autonomy Preference Index. Scores were separated into the domains of information seeking and decision making preferences.
The researchers found that higher decision making preference scores were related to female gender, higher education level, and lower depression scores. Decision making scores were also positively correlated with asthma quality of life questionnaire scores. However, there was no association between decision making scores and asthma control test scores, spirometry values, or health care utilization. In addition, there was an association between information seeking preference scores and education level but not asthma outcomes.
“Future studies with the intention to increase patient autonomy may help establish a causal relationship,” write the authors.
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