The Health and Wellbeing Study:

An Investigation into the Perceived Health and Wellbeing of Irish Adults Living with

Asthma in Ireland

Dr Mary Hughes, Ms June Considine, Dr Elaine Lehane, Prof Eileen Savage.

Background

• Asthma most common respiratory disease in Ireland (Asthma Society of Ireland 2014, CSO 2008)

• Increased morbidity, poor control (Price et al. 2014)

• National Clinical Programme for Asthma

• Healthy Ireland Framework (2013)

Defining Health and Wellbeing

• Health- more than the absence of disease or infirmity – Focus is on physical functionality– Acknowledges presence of chronic illness

• Wellbeing- positive psychological functioning in a meaningful life– Differs across the lifespan– Positive emotions– Life satisfaction– Control– Social support and loving relationships

Empirical Studies

• Focus on functional status or symptom measurement

• Illness focused enquiry

• Paucity of data specific to people living with asthma measuring social support and relationships

MethodologyThe aim of this study was to investigate the perceived health

and wellbeing of those living with asthma in Ireland.

The objectives of the study were to:

• investigate how adults living with asthma in Ireland

perceive their health and wellbeing

• explore how asthma severity affects the everyday life of

adults living with asthma in Ireland

• investigate whether there is a relationship between the

concepts of health and the wellbeing in those living with

asthma

• distinguish how perceptions of health and perceptions of

wellbeing affect one another

Sample• Sampling

– Sample size power calculation for 200 participants

– Advertised on social media– Adults over 18– Asthma for more than 1 year– English proficiency– IT proficiency

Data Collection• Online survey (n=214)

• 33 items plus demographics– Short form Medical outcomes Survey

(Stewart el al. 1989)– 8 Items from P105 Health and Wellbeing

Survey (Price et al. 2014) – CSO Format Demographics

• Dillman’s Principles (2007)

Data Collection

• Health- likert scale – self—rated

health– ability to execute

daily activities – physical

functioning

• Wellbeing- likert scale– Psychological

wellbeing– Social support– Healthy

behaviours

Data Collection• RAND health scoring for interpretation and

comparison of scales (Hays et al. 1995)• Reliability and validity

– Pilot study (n=10)– Face validity– Construct validity– External validity– Crohnbachs alpha Health (0.892) Wellbeing

(0.858)• SPSS (version 22)• Ethical Approval (CREC)

Findings

• 339 respondents- 80% completion for Inclusion, filter question (n=214)

• Female 76% (n=162) • Age varied- 18-64 and older• Coexisting illness 33% (n=71)• Fulltime employment 47% (n=101)

Perceptions of Asthma Severity

Source of Information

Trustworthiness of Information

Health

• Physical Health- limited performance (82%, N=175)

• Extreme limitation 5% (n=11)• 20% unable to work due to health (n=40)• Comorbidities found to have significant effect on

overall health scores

• Highest mean scores for those in employment for profit(mean(sd) 70.8 (20.3))

• Gender, current age, age at diagnosis not significant on mean health scores (p=0.801, p=0.989, p=0.184)

Wellbeing• 69% reported very good (n=74) or good (n=73)

wellbeing• Depressive symptoms absent in 39%(n=84)• 64% in social and loving relationships all of the

time (n=82)most of the time (n=56)• 10% more limited than their peers (n=21)

• Depression found to have significant influence on wellbeing scores(p=<0.001)

• Employment status significant influence on wellbeing(p=0.004)

• Significance of perceived severity on wellbeing scores

Maintaining Health and Wellbeing Lifestyle Choices

• Sleep Quality

• Physical Exercise

• Tobacco Consumption

• Alcohol Consumption

• Pets

Correlation of Overall Health and Wellbeing Scores

Recommendations• Implementation of National Clinical

Programme for Asthma• Strategy Initiative for Asthma Society

of Ireland

New Policy Guidelines on – Physical limitations– Psychological health– Lifestyle choices

References Asthma Society of Ireland (2014) The Case for Change: Implementing the National Clinical Programme for Asthma, Dublin.Central Statistics Office (2008) Quarterly National Household Survey-Health, Third Quarter 2007, Cork.Department of Health (2013a) Health in Ireland: Key Trends 2013, Dublin.Department of Health (2013b) Healthy Ireland - A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013-2025, Dublin.Hays RD, Sherbourne CD & Mazel R (1995) User's manual for the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) core measures of health-related quality of life. Rand Corporation.Health Service Executive (2009) HIPE Data 2005-2009 (Executive HS ed.).Hughes M & Dunne M (2014): The Living with Asthma Study: issues affecting the perceived health and wellbeing of Irish adults with asthma. Irish Journal of Medical Science.Price D, Fletcher M & van der Molen T (2014): Asthma control and management in 8,000 European patients: the REcognise Asthma and LInk to Symptoms and Experience (REALISE) survey. Npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine 24.

Thank You