Family and home asthma services across the Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Community Health
• Pediatric Medicine

Background:

• Asthma is a leading chronic childhood illness, disproportionately affecting inner-city populations.
• Complex factors including physiological, social, environmental, and behavioral elements contribute to asthma's burden.
• Existing interventions require a multi-faceted approach to address diverse determinants of health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a synthesis of key program variables and process indicators for six family and home asthma services (FHAS) interventions.
• To inform communities, coalitions, and programs planning similar asthma management activities.
• To highlight innovative, community-based interventions developed through the Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project (CAAC).

Main Methods:

• Development of multicomponent interventions including asthma self-management, social services, and coordinated care.
• Implementation of multitrigger environmental interventions targeting home asthma triggers.
• Synthesis of program variables and process indicators across six diverse CAAC FHAS interventions.

Main Results:

• All participating CAAC sites identified a critical need for family and home asthma services (FHAS).
• Multicomponent and multitrigger environmental interventions were developed and implemented across sites.
• Key program variables and process indicators were identified for future program planning.

Conclusions:

• Family and home asthma services (FHAS) are essential components of community-based asthma management.
• Multifaceted interventions addressing self-management, social support, coordinated care, and environmental triggers are effective.
• The CAAC project provides a model for developing and evaluating community-level asthma interventions.