[Treatment compliance in asthma: a Tunisian transversal study]

ABSTRACT

As a chronic disease, asthma requires a continued treatment and poses the problem of compliance with medication. To study in a Tunisian population of asthmatics, the level of compliance and the factors affecting it, we included 190 adults with persistent asthma in a transversal study using a self-questionnaire. The mean age was 38.56 years. 2/3 of patients had medium or poor socioeconomic status. 1/3 had severe persistent asthma, progressing for 5 years in 68% of case. All patients received inhaled corticosteroids only 44 had high dosed corticosteroids. 29.5% of patients were compliant with medication in our study. Omission and intentional negligence were the two main reasons for non-compliance. Level of compliance was positively related to socioeconomic status, urban way of life, history of hospitalization, high dosed corticosteroids and knowledge of their indication. We conclude that treatment compliance in asthma is very low. Further efforts should be made to improve compliance by increasing the accessibility of medication and by the educational programs which should be a priority in the management of asthma