Feasibility and Impact of a School‐Based Intervention for Families of Urban Adolescents with Asthma: Results from a Randomized Pilot Trial

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and short-term outcomes of Asthma: It's a Family Affair!, a school-based intervention for adolescents with asthma and their caregivers. Twenty-four ethnic minority families with a middle school student with asthma were randomized to immediate intervention or no-treatment control. Intervention students received six group sessions on prevention and management of asthma. Caregivers received five group sessions teaching child-rearing skills to support the youth's autonomy and asthma self-management. All students attended all sessions; caregivers attended an average of three. Two months post-intervention, relative to controls, intervention caregivers reported better problem-solving with children. Intervention students were more responsible for carrying medication, took more prevention steps, and woke fewer nights from asthma. The intervention resulted in positive short-term changes in family relations, asthma management by students, and health status.

The management of the allergic child at school: EAACI/GA2LEN Task Force on the allergic child at school

“…Encourage full participation in physical activities when students are well, offer reduced/modified activities if experiencing symptoms. There are many examples of successful education programmes for school children with asthma which incorporate some of the above-mentioned principles (28)(29)(30)(31).…”

Youth and Parent Versions of the Asthma-Related Anxiety Scale: Development and Initial Testing

“…31 We utilized baseline data from all participants to examine the scales' factor structure and psychometric properties, with the exception of temporal stability wherein we excluded intervention group families because participation in the intervention may have reduced asthmarelated anxiety. Study procedures were approved by the institutional review boards of the NYU School of Medicine, NYC Department of Education, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.…”

“…Participants were part of a clinical trial testing the efficacy of a school-based intervention for youth with uncontrolled asthma. 31 We targeted schools that serve primarily low-income, African American and Latino middle-school students because they are an underserved group [46][47][48] greatly impacted by asthma. 12,14,49,50 As a result, the sample was restricted with respect to asthma severity, socioeconomic status, age, and race/ethnicity.…”

Mindful Meditation for Individuals with Asthma and Anxiety: Promising Results from a Multiple Baseline Study

“…Bruzzese et al [18] tested the feasibility of a short-term educational intervention in the public schools that provided information to both non-asthmatic family members and their children with asthma. Similar programs have focused on peer support [19] and academic counseling [20], both of which included peer and professional led information sessions and peer-centered positive social interactions.…”