Adolescents with comorbid asthma and obesity are more likely to suffer from more adverse health conditions, such as a lower health-related quality of life than those with only one disease. Caregivers play a crucial role in providing support for their children’s health. Caregiver attitudes and relationships with youth and their physical activity may influence their child’s physical activity engagement. Through this study, we aim to better understand caregivers’ influence on youth physical activity engagement among youth with comorbid obesity and asthma. Additionally, we seek to analyze caregiver and adolescent relationships with physical activity to better identify risk and protective factors at the family level. Thirty caregiver-adolescent dyads will complete separate semi-structured interviews. Interview questions will address dyad attitudes, towards physical activity amongst youth with asthma and obesity and facilitators and barriers to physical activity engagement. All interviews will be recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes. The Social Cognitive Theory will ground our qualitative and thematic analysis. Since pediatric comorbid asthma and obesity is a public health concern, this research will help parents and physicians better understand unique risk factors regarding both diseases and their interaction with physical activity engagement. Identification of such factors at the family level will be useful for caregivers to promote youth physical activity engagement.

Fedele, D. A., Janicke, D. M., Lim, C. S., & Abu-Hasan, M. (2014, January 10). An examination of comorbid asthma and obesity: assessing differences in physical activity, sleep duration, health-related quality of life and parental distress. Taylor & Francis.