Knowledge of inhaler use among medical officers in the management of asthma in children in Dar es salaam, Tanzania

Background: The inhaled route is the preferred first line method for administration of asthma medication. It is however documented that oral and intravenous routes are the commonly adopted methods of administering asthma medication in children, and the knowledge of the use of inhalers and inhaler devices has not been well documented in middle and low-income countries. Knowledge of inhaler technique among medical personnel ensures effective education of its use to patients to provide the desired results in managing asthma in children. Studies in developing countries have demonstrated a generally low level of knowledge of inhaler use among Medical Doctors and this has had an impact on asthma management goals. It is therefore important to assess the knowledge of inhaler use and factors associated with it in our context to help develop the appropriate strategies to improve its use. Objectives and study methods: The primary objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of medical officers on inhaler technique and to identify the factors associated with knowledge in the treatment of asthma in children. Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study of Medical Officers who managed children with asthma in selected health facilities in Dar es Salaam, using a selfadministered questionnaire developed from the Global Initiative for Management of Asthma guidelines, the Inhaler Device Assessment Tool, and from similar studies on knowledge of inhaler use among healthcare providers. Data entry and analysis was done with SPSS version 26. Results: We had 175 participants in the study, ninety-six males and seventy-nine females. Up to 72.6% of respondents had less than 5 years’ work experience, and 49.7% had a personal history or a family history of asthma. Adequate knowledge was identified among 25.1% of respondents and having a history or family history of asthma was associated with adequate knowledge of inhaler use. Conclusion: The current study has shown that there is inadequate knowledge of inhaler use among medical Doctors in our setting. Recommendation: It is recommended that appropriate strategies as demonstrated in the study be designed to improve continuous education of Medical doctors on the appropriate inhaler use technique, thereby ensuring maximal benefits of medication delivery in management of asthma in children