THE REVISED ASTHMA PROBLEM BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST - ADAPTATION FOR USE INSPANISH ASTHMATIC-PATIENTS

Behavioral problems associated with asthma management were examined in a group of 100 adult Span ish outpatients with asthma (57 women, 43 m en; 17-69 years of age). All of them completed a Spanish version of th e Revised Asthma Problem Behavior Checklist (RAPBC). Data about durati on, severity, and self-management of asthma (self-efficacy expectancie s and health care utilization), as well as dyspnea and FEV(1), were al so recorded. The highest-reliability Cronbach alpha indices were for t he criteria related to emotions and behaviors th at could precipitate asthma attacks. Concurrent criterion validity was examined first by Pe arson correlations between the RAPBC scores and clinical data about as thma (duration; FEV(1), and dyspnea), and second, by examining the dif ferences in RAPBC scores (ANOVAs) among three severity groups of patie nts. Severe patients reported more behavioral problems associated with poor life-styles and self-management of their asthma and showed more psychological and physical negative consequences related to asthma. In conclusion, while the RAPBC could be considered a valid instrument to assess the behavioral problems associated with asthma in Spanish pati ents, and shows a good concurrent criterion validity, its reliability (intern al consistency) with respect to life-style and self-management behaviors related to asthma should be improved, to ensure its utility as a screening instrument for behavior-related problems in asthmatic Spanish patients.