A systematic review of school-based interventions that include inhaler technique education

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Public Health Interventions
• Educational Research

Background:

• Childhood asthma requires proper inhaled medication use for effective treatment.
• Improper inhaler technique is prevalent among school-aged children.
• The role of school-based asthma education in teaching inhaler technique is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review school-based asthma interventions that include inhaler technique instruction.
• To assess the extent to which these programs teach and measure inhaler technique.
• To evaluate the evidence for improved inhaler technique in school settings.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of school-based asthma interventions (K-12).
• Inclusion criteria: taught inhaler technique and measured it as an outcome.
• Searched databases including PubMed; nine studies met inclusion criteria from 285 citations.

Main Results:

• A limited number of school-based interventions evaluated inhaler technique improvements.
• Only 22% of studies used a validated measure for inhaler technique assessment.
• Instruction varied in duration (15 min to 1 hour); nurses led in 67% of interventions.
• Evidence for sustained technique improvement up to 12 months was mixed.

Conclusions:

• School-based inhaler technique education shows potential benefits for students.
• Inconsistent measurement methods hinder firm conclusions on effectiveness.
• Further research is required to identify optimal and feasible components for asthma self-management education.