Sixty-one low-income, African-American mothers of preschool children with asthma were interviewed about asthma management. Additionally, 15 nurses provided information for a developmental schedule of asthma self-management activities. Most children had been diagnosed with asthma prior to age 18 months. Children participated in asthma management by 20 months, yet their mothers did not expect them to be able to manage their asthma by school age. Mothers expended considerable effort in coordinating asthma management with others. We suggest that asthma education with this population promote developmentally appropriate parent-child partnerships and effective involvement of family members and secondary settings.

SUPER STARS, a preventive intervention for children and their parents, was developed using aprotectivefactorapproach. Children without participating parents were matched with other important adults in their lives. The intermediate goals of the program were to strengthen family bonding and functioning, as well as to enhance a sense of racial pride and cultural bonding. Those factors have been shown to reduce the probability of substance use. The families involved in the program were identified and recruited through a variety of community agencies serving low-income urban families. The intervention used a variety of artistic modalities to convey messages and provide experiences related to culture andfamily, as well as individual behavioral skills. Youth had more positive feelings about themselves and their heritage (both immediate family and Africa) after the program. Parents reported improved family functioning, increased ability to deal with stress and conflict, and more positive feelings about themselves and their family. Implications for replication in the context of service demonstrations are discussed.