Adolescents with asthma in China report comparatively low readiness in communicating with healthcare providers and managing their own care independently, according to a mixed-methods study published in BMC Pediatrics. The research, conducted at two Grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangzhou, assessed how prepared 14-to-18-year-old patients are for the move from paediatric to adult healthcare, a shift the authors describe as a critical challenge that, when inadequately prepared, contributes to poor disease control and disrupted continuity of care.
The study recruited participants by convenience sampling between November 2024 and October 2025. The quantitative component included 100 complete questionnaire sets, using the Self-Management and Transition to Adulthood with Rx (STARx) Questionnaire and the Bronchial Asthma Patient Needs Questionnaire. From the survey participants, 18 were purposively selected for one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Data collection and preliminary qualitative analysis proceeded concurrently until the research team judged the data sufficiently rich and relevant to address the research question.
The mean total STARx score was 59.10 (SD 11.81; 95% CI 56.79–61.41) on a possible range of 18 to 90. Medication management had the highest mean domain score, at 3.63 (SD 0.54), while provider communication had the lowest, at 2.78 (SD 0.87). This pattern suggests that, among the domains measured, the adolescents felt most confident about managing their medication and least confident about communicating with providers.
The needs questionnaire yielded an overall mean item score of 2.47 (SD 0.57; 95% CI 2.36–2.58). Mean domain scores were 3.03 for environmental needs (SD 0.71; 95% CI 2.89–3.17), 2.43 for health behaviour-related needs (SD 0.70; 95% CI 2.29–2.57), 2.36 for psychosocial needs (SD 0.71; 95% CI 2.22–2.50), and 2.12 for physiological needs (SD 0.79; 95% CI 1.97–2.27). Environmental needs thus ranked highest among the domains assessed, while physiological needs ranked lowest.
The qualitative interviews identified five themes concerning autonomy, future planning, social relationships, psychological adaptation, and relationships with family members and healthcare professionals. These accounts highlighted concerns relating to autonomy, future planning, social relationships, self-identity, and changing relationships with family members and healthcare professionals as the adolescents anticipated moving into adult care.
By combining survey scores with interview narratives, the authors aimed to assess transition readiness, explore transitional needs and transition-related experiences, and connect the two strands of evidence.
The authors conclude that participants reported comparatively lower readiness in provider communication and independent healthcare-management tasks, alongside the qualitative concerns described above. They note that these descriptive findings may inform the future development and evaluation of transition support for adolescents with asthma. The study is published as open access research, with the shared version subject to further edits before the final Version of Record.
As a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 100 adolescents recruited at two hospitals in a single Chinese city, the findings characterise the reported readiness and needs of this particular convenience sample rather than establishing causal effects or evaluating any intervention. The authors frame the work as an assessment of current transition readiness and needs, and as a potential evidence base for designing and testing future transition support programmes for adolescents with asthma.
Subject of Research: Transition readiness and needs of adolescents with asthma moving from paediatric to adult healthcare in China
Article Title: Transition needs of adolescent asthma patients in China: a mixed-methods study based on the SMART model
Article References: Li, W., Chen, H., Li, S., Tan, Y., Chang, M., Chen, X., Zhang, C., Liu, W., & Li, T. (2026). Transition needs of adolescent asthma patients in China: a mixed-methods study based on the SMART model. BMC Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07845-9
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-026-07845-9
Keywords: asthma, adolescents, healthcare transition, SMART model, STARx questionnaire, mixed methods, Guangzhou, paediatric care, transition readiness, qualitative interviews, Transition, needs
News Source: Harold Sullivan. (October 28, 2026). Adolescent asthma patients in China show gaps in transition readiness, study finds. Scienmag.
