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A controlled trial of a school-based intervention to improve asthma management

¹ Schools of Psychology and, ⁴ Education, and ⁵ Child Health (Allergy and Inflammation Sciences), Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair, University of Southampton, Southampton, and ² Education and Prevention, DrugScope, London, ³ Portsmouth Primary Care Trust, Dunsbury Way Clinic, Havant, UK.

CORRESPONDENCE: D. C. McCann, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. Fax: 44 2380598941. E-mail: dcm1{at}soton.ac.uk

Keywords: Asthma, intervention, pets, psychological, schoolchildren

Received: March 24, 2004
Accepted January 3, 2006

The present study investigated schools as an appropriate context for an intervention designed to produce clinical and psychological benefits for children with asthma.

A total of 193 out of 219 (88.1%) children with asthma (aged 7–9 yrs) from 23 out of 24 (95.8%) schools completed the study. Intervention schools received a staff asthma-training session, advice on asthma policy, an emergency ß₂-agonist inhaler with spacer and whole-class asthma workshops. Nonintervention schools received no asthma-related input.

Intervention children required less general practitioner-prescribed preventer medication despite no differences in symptom control compared with the nonintervention asthmatic group. Increased peer knowledge of asthma may have mediated improved active quality of life in the intervention group, together with increased self-esteem in young females. Those females not receiving the intervention, but identified as being asthmatic within the classroom, and thus possibly stigmatised, reported decreased self-esteem. Lower self-esteem in young males was associated with pet ownership. No change was found in staff knowledge, the establishment of asthma policies or school absences which were low even before intervention.

In conclusion, a whole-school intervention can improve the health of children with asthma when followed with support for all children but effects are likely to be modified by sex and the home environment.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M. Coffman, M. D. Cabana, and E. H. Yelin Do School-Based Asthma Education Programs Improve Self-Management and Health Outcomes? Pediatrics, August 1, 2009; 124(2): 729 - 742. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. McWhirter, D. McCann, H. Coleman, M. Calvert, and J. Warner Can schools promote the health of children with asthma? Health Educ. Res., December 1, 2008; 23(6): 917 - 930. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]