The caregivers’ main concerns included the perceived effects of infection, food and exercise on children
with asthma. Several caregivers considered the disease to be infectious and had a lower threshold for physician
consultation, as they believed that any delay in treating the infection would be detrimental to the child’s health. Some
also perceived asthma to be episodic and self-limiting, and that their children could ‘outgrow’ it. Many caregivers
believed that asthma could be modified by abstinence from, or intake of, certain foods. Others had the perception
that sports, including swimming, would worsen asthma. These perceptions resulted in unnecessary restrictions of
the children’s diet and activities. Most caregivers were unaware of influenza vaccination as a preventive measure to
reduce triggers due to respiratory viral infections.