The awesome Asthma School Days Program: educating children, inspiring a community

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Public Health Education
• School Health Programs

Background:

• Asthma significantly impacts children's quality of life, affecting daily activities like play and sleep.
• Many children with asthma lack adequate self-care tools and appropriate medication adherence, such as anti-inflammatory inhalers.
• Environmental factors, including secondhand smoke exposure, are prevalent among children with asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of an educational program on health outcomes for elementary school children with asthma.
• To identify key challenges faced by children with asthma in an urban school setting.
• To inform community action plans for improving pediatric asthma care.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of the 'Awesome Asthma School Days' educational program involving 1,400 students across 74 schools.
• Cross-sectional survey to evaluate asthma's impact on students' daily lives and self-care practices.
• Analysis of survey data to inform community-level interventions and strategic planning.

Main Results:

• The educational program positively influenced students' expectations regarding normal play and sleep.
• Student comprehension of asthma and its management significantly improved post-program.
• Survey data highlighted high rates of asthma-related sleep/play disruption and smoke exposure, alongside low self-care tool utilization.

Conclusions:

• School-based asthma education programs can effectively improve children's understanding and expectations related to asthma.
• Community partnerships and strategic planning, informed by survey data, are crucial for addressing pediatric asthma challenges.
• The program's success suggests a replicable model for improving asthma management in school settings nationwide.