School-Based Interprofessional Asthma Self-Management Education Program for Middle School Students: A Feasibility...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Asthma Management
• Community Health Interventions
• Health Disparities in Chronic Disease

Background:

• Asthma is a leading chronic illness in school-aged children, causing significant morbidity and school absenteeism.
• Asthma disproportionately impacts low-income and minority youth, particularly in Alabama.
• Improving asthma control is crucial for reducing health disparities by addressing social, behavioral, environmental, economic, and medical factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a school-based asthma self-management education program.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of an interprofessional team delivering asthma education to adolescents.
• To address the needs of teens with asthma in a medically underserved community.

Main Methods:

• A five-session, school-based program using the Power Breathing for teens curriculum.
• Interprofessional team including nursing students, respiratory therapy students, and medical residents.
• Utilized validated instruments: Childhood Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Responsibility Questionnaire (ARQ), Self-Efficacy Scale, Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ), peak flow monitoring, and spirometry.

Main Results:

• Eighteen students with moderate to severe persistent asthma completed the program.
• Significant improvements observed in asthma control and reduction of symptoms.
• Increased medication knowledge, self-efficacy, and sense of responsibility for asthma care.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents with asthma require comprehensive education on medication management, trigger avoidance, and self-care.
• A multidimensional, interprofessional approach is effective in strengthening asthma self-management skills.
• This program shows promise for improving asthma care in middle school populations within medically underserved communities.