Preschoolers' and parents' asthma education trial (P2AET)--a randomized controlled study

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Published on: November 4, 2010

R Szczepanski1, R Jaeschke, T Spindler

  • 1Kinderhospital Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.

European Journal of Pediatrics
|March 20, 2010
PubMed

Insights

A family-centered asthma education program significantly improved emergency management skills and reduced emergency visits in young children aged 2-5 years. This psycho-educational approach proved effective, especially for children on inhaled corticosteroids.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Health Education
  • Family Medicine

Background:

  • Asthma management in preschool children (2-5 years) presents unique challenges.
  • Psycho-educational programs are established for older children but less evaluated in younger age groups.
  • Family involvement is crucial for effective chronic disease management in early childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate a family-oriented, multiprofessional psycho-educational asthma training program for children aged 2-5 years.
  • To compare the effectiveness of this program against standard asthma instruction and a waiting list control.
  • To assess the program's impact on asthma emergency management and healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter randomized trial involving 338 children aged 2-5 years with a history of obstructive episodes and recurrent wheeze.
  • Three groups: Waiting Group (WG), Instruction Group (IG) with guideline-based training, and Education Group (EG) with a standardized psycho-educational program.
  • Assessments conducted after 6 months, including subgroup analysis of children on regular inhaled corticosteroids.

Main Results:

  • The Education Group (EG) showed the greatest improvement in asthma emergency management test scores, followed by the Instruction Group (IG).
  • The EG had a reduced risk ratio for emergency visits (0.68) compared to the IG.
  • Children on regular inhaled corticosteroids had a higher risk of emergency visits if they only received instruction or were in the waiting group compared to those in the EG.

Conclusions:

  • Family-oriented, multiprofessional psycho-educational asthma programs are effective for children aged 2-5 years.
  • This standardized program improves asthma emergency management and reduces emergency healthcare utilization.
  • The program should be widely accessible within the German healthcare system for all asthmatic children in this age group.

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