Table 2.
Frequency distribution of incorrect responses to 14 items in the Asthma Self-Management Questionnaire by asthma patients attending a polyclinic in Western part of Singapore, 2022 (n=141)
| ASMQ items | Incorrect responses | N (%) |
|---|---|---|
| A main method to prevent asthma flare-ups is to | Take medicines before meals | 43 (30.5) |
| Take steroids in pill form | 22 (15.6) | |
| Go to the emergency room at the first sign of symptoms | 23 (16.3) | |
| Taking the prescribed two puffs of your inhaler two times a day | Is the same as taking one puff four times a day | 17 (12.1) |
| Is the same as taking four puffs once a day | 21 (14.9) | |
| Can be arranged in any way as long as you take a total of four puffs a day | 32 (22.7) | |
| If you are not having asthma symptoms | Your lungs are not sensitive to irritants | 11 (7.8) |
| It is ok to skip some doses of medicine | 20 (14.2) | |
| You are probably cured of asthma | 6 (4.3) | |
| Maintenance medicines | Don’t need to be taken every day | 6 (4.3) |
| Make you breathe better right after you take them | 31 (22.0) | |
| Can only be taken in pill form | 0 | |
| Rescue medicines | Help prevent future flare-ups | 43 (30.5) |
| Have no side effects | 5 (3.5) | |
| Do not cause you to become tolerant to medicine | 7 (5.0) | |
| When using your inhaler, you should | Take shallow breaths | 28 (19.9) |
| Inhale quickly | 40 (28.4) | |
| Press your inhaler several times while you are inhaling | 1 (0.7) | |
| After you have used your inhaler, you should | Take the second puff as soon as possible after the first puff | 8 (5.7) |
| Keep taking puffs until you feel better | 0 | |
| Wash the inhaler in a tub of water | 5 (3.5) | |
| If you are having symptoms and don’t know why, the first thing you should do is | Take some doses of steroid medicines | 54 (38.3) |
| Call your doctor | 32 (22.7) | |
| Count how fast you are breathing | 7 (5.0) | |
| Taking more rescue medicines than prescribed | Is really not harmful | 8 (5.7) |
| Is a good way to manage symptoms caused by exercise | 18 (12.8) | |
| May mean you can take less maintenance medicine | 4 (2.8) | |
| For people with asthma, exercise | Is something that should not be done regularly | 4 (2.8) |
| Is only good if done for at least 30 min at a time | 13 (9.2) | |
| Can trigger symptoms because the lungs are not taking in enough oxygen | 13 (9.2) | |
| Asthma can be cured by | Taking daily medicine | 34 (24.1) |
| Avoiding triggers, such as dust and cigarette smoke | 33 (23.4) | |
| Using a peak flow meter | 2 (1.4) | |
| Asthma flare-ups | Usually occur suddenly without warning | 41 (29.1) |
| Cannot be triggered by strong emotions | 5 (3.5) | |
| Always cause wheezing | 21 (14.9) | |
| If you are prescribed a 7-days course of steroid pills | You don’t have to avoid triggers while you are taking the pills | 5 (3.5) |
| Your symptoms can’t get worse while you are taking the pills | 10 (7.1) | |
| You don’t need to use your peak flow meter while you are taking the pills | 1 (0.7) | |
| Which of the following can help control asthma? | Reducing stress levels | 16 (11.3) |
| Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated | 12 (8.5) | |
| Avoiding foods with sulfites, such as dried fruits and wine | 10 (7.1) |