gms | German Medical Science

Background: The ability to effectively implement asthma self-management behaviour (SMB) is partially determined by contextual factors [1]. Among employees with asthma, these determinants include job decision latitude (JDL) and social support at work, as qualitative evidence suggests [2].

Aim: We investigated the association of JDL and social support with different domains of asthma SMB at work (i.e., physical activity, trigger avoidance, acute symptom management, and communication).

Method: In total, 221 inpatients with asthma from three pulmonary rehabilitation clinics completed a questionnaire (response rate=29.3%). JDL and social support were measured using items from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire [3]. The above mentioned four domains of asthma SMB (i.e., the independent variables) were measured by self-developed items (except for physical activity). We dichotomised all variables and conducted logistic regressions to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

Results/findings: Low levels of JDL and support were associated with poorer trigger avoidance (OR=2.1, 95%CI=1.1-3.9; OR=2.3, 95%CI=1.2-4.3, respectively). Low JDL values were also related to inadequate acute symptom management (OR=6.3, 95%CI=2.8-14.1) while low social support was associated with poorer communication (OR=3.0, 95%CI=1.4-6.3). There were no significant associations with physical activity.

Discussion and conclusions: Psychosocial working conditions are associated with asthma SMB at work, which confirms qualitative findings [2]. Longitudinal data is needed to confirm our findings and to investigate temporal considerations and to shed light on the underlying mechanisms, which can then be used to inform the development of interventions that aim to improve asthma outcomes in this population.