Health Supports Learning: Academic Outcomes Improved by the School-Based Asthma Therapy Program

School nurses are vital to childhood asthma management. Although school-based asthma therapy (SBAT) improves clinical outcomes, its academic impact remains unclear. SBAT reduces barriers to guideline-based care through directly observed preventive medication therapy for children with persistent, poorly controlled asthma.

Retrospective academic record review (2013-2019) for 552 SBAT-enrolled children in a large urban district. Outcomes included missed instructional time, behavioral incidents, and grades compared across 4 quarters pre- and post-enrollment, stratified by school level, sex, race/ethnicity, and SES.

Unexcused hours decreased significantly post-SBAT: 17% elementary; 53% middle/high school, with no sex or race/ethnicity differences. Excused hours decreased 27% among middle/high school students. Level 2 incidents decreased 32% in elementary and 34% in middle/high school students. Females had more excused hours and Level 1/2 behavioral incidents than males, while Black elementary students had fewer Level 1/2 incidents than Whites. Grades did not change significantly.

SBAT has potential as an equity-promoting school healthcare practice to mitigate disparities in asthma morbidity, absenteeism, and school engagement among students in disadvantaged communities.

SBAT highlights potential educational benefits, supporting integration of guideline-based asthma management into routine school health services.