How are mental representations of asthma triggers and symptoms related to interpersonal risk perceptions? A psychometric investigation of caregivers of children with asthma.

OBJECTIVE

Parents and guardians (hereafter ) make decisions for their children's medical care. However, many caregivers of children with asthma struggle to understand their child's illness. We used the psychometric paradigm to investigate how caregivers conceptualize, or , asthma triggers and symptoms and how these representations are linked to perceived asthma exacerbation risk.

METHODS

We asked 377 caregivers of children with asthma across the U.S. to rate 20 triggers or 20 symptoms along 15 characteristics. Caregivers also indicated their perceived risk of their child having an asthma exacerbation (hereafter ). Using principal components analysis, we extracted key dimensions underlying caregivers' ratings on the characteristics. Then we related the triggers' and symptoms' scores on the dimensions to caregivers' interpersonal risk perceptions.

RESULTS

Interpersonal risk perceptions were higher for triggers with high ratings for the dimensions and , but not . Risk perceptions were also higher for symptoms with high ratings for the dimensions , and , but not or .

CONCLUSION

By identifying key dimensions underlying caregivers' mental representations of asthma triggers and symptoms, these findings can inform a new approach to asthma education.