Cognitions associated with initial medical consultations concerning recurrent breathing difficulties: A community-based study

A two-stage community survey identified 568 respondents reporting recurrent breathing difficulties over a one-year period. Subsequent interviews allow ed comparison of (i) 21 respondents who had never consulted a doctor about frequent wheezing (i.e., on more than 30 days) or serious breathing difficu lties (i.e., disrupting everyday activities) over the past year with (ii) a randomly selected group of 22 who had seen their doctor concerning breathi ng difficulties in the past year. These groups were found to be similar wit h respect to demographic and lung function measures. An extended health bel ief model framework including causal attributions for breathing difficultie s and consulting self-efficacy was used to explore cognitions which might d istinguish between the two groups. Logistic regression suggested that lower perceived relative severity of symptoms (in relation to other problems), a ttribution of wheezing to smoking and lower self-efficacy in relation to ex plaining breathing difficulties to a doctor distinguished between those who did and did not consult. Health education implications, including initiati ves to encourage medical help-seeking amongst those with recurrent, frequen t or serious breathing difficulties are discussed.