EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine

According to The Global Asthma Report 2022, the prevalence of asthma in adolescents between 13 and 14 years old is marked at 11%, with severe symptoms that regularly interfere with daily life that varied with the level of development of the countries analyzed: 53.3%, 47.9%, 42.3% for low- to lower-middle, upper-middle and high-income, respectively [1]. A recent multinational study reported that only 55.4% of adolescents with asthma achieved good control and that 60.1% of adolescents with severe asthma had not used inhaled corticosteroids alone or with long-acting beta2 agonists in the past year, differences that were not significant between low- and middle-income and high-income countries [2]. The lack of adherence in this group is highly alarming and responds to different factors that must be addressed in the care of these patients. There are significant roadblocks affecting adolescents’ success in achieving adequate adherence to asthma control treatment. Forgetfulness or lack of planning to follow the treatment, little perception of the benefit to their health, fear of side effects, low level of knowledge of the disease, social stigmatization or shame, the complexity of administering the medications, and conflicts with their parents are barriers that adolescents suffering from asthma have reported [3]. Neuropsychiatric comorbidities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, or risky behaviors such as tobacco, vaporizer, and cannabis use, have been associated with loss of adherence and poor health outcomes in adolescent asthma [4-6].

1. “The Global Asthma Report 2022”. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 1 (2022): 1-104.
2. García-Marcos L., et al. “Asthma management and control in children, adolescents, and adults in 25 countries: a Global Asthma Network Phase I cross-sectional study”. Lancet Global Health 2 (2023): e218-e228.
3. De Simoni A., et al. “What do adolescents with asthma really think about adherence to inhalers? Insights from a qualitative analysis of a UK online forum”. BMJ Open6 (2017): e015245.
4. Silverstein GD., et al. “The relationship between pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and asthma management”. Journal of Adolescent Health 5 (2023): 813-819.
5. Naveen KH., et al. “Symptoms of depression and inhaler adherence among adolescents with asthma: is there an association?” Pediatric Pulmonology 4 (2025): e71098.
6. Vidal A., et al. “Tobacco, vaporizers, and cannabis in asthmatic adolescents”. Journal of Adolescent and Addiction Research 1 (2024).
7. Kaplan A., et al. “Treatment adherence in adolescents with asthma”. Journal of Asthma and Allergy 13 (2020): 39-49.
8. Taheri F., et al. “Effect of motivational interviewing on treatment adherence and self-efficacy of adolescents with asthma: A randomized controlled trial”. Nursing Open 7 (2023): 4373-4383.
9. O'Connor A., et al. “Isn't there an app for that? the role of smartphone and tablet applications for asthma education and self-management in adolescents”. Children (Basel)9 (2021): 786.
10. Kaplan A. “Precision medicine: how to approach the adolescent asthmatic”. Exploration of Asthma and Allergy 1 (2023): 153-162.