Student perspectives on asthma management in schools: a mixed-methods study examining experiences, facilitators, and barriers to care

Perceptions of Children and Caregivers Regarding Asthma and Its Pharmacotherapy: A Qualitative Study

Asthma, when untreated, may lead to serious implications, especially in the pediatric population. Understanding the perceptions and needs of children and their caregivers may optimize asthma management. This study was aimed to analyze the perceptions of children and their caregivers regarding asthma and its pharmacotherapy. This is a qualitative study using 2 focus groups. We use the Bardin's content analysis. Three researchers made data cross-validation. As for results, the first focus group comprised 7 children who had uncontrolled asthma. The second group comprised 7 caregivers who were the children's mothers. Four categories emerged: living with asthma, impact of asthma, medications, and health care. Asthma and its pharmacotherapy significantly affect the daily activities of children and mothers. Thus, understand feelings and experiences of patients and caregivers, in addition to educational and welcoming interventions for families in asthma management may be carried out by health care professionals to minimize the damage caused by this disease.

Knowledge and experience of Primary Education teachers regarding childhood asthma: mixed study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the knowledge of Primary Education teachers regarding asthma and learn about their experiences with the exacerbation of symptoms at school.

METHOD

Sequential explanatory mixed study. In the quantitative stage, the Newcastle Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire and the characterization instrument were applied. Data analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The production of qualitative data occurred from written statements analyzed using the deductive content analysis method.

RESULTS

Two hundred and seven teachers, mostly women (92%) and working in public schools (82%). As for knowledge, 132 (63.8%) had unsatisfactory performance. The questions with the lowest rates of correct answers were about medications used regularly and during the attacks. Teachers with higher scores had less time in the occupation (p = 0.017) and had been diagnosed with asthma (p = 0.006). In the qualitative stage, 35 teachers participated and the statements corroborated the quantitative findings, especially in relation to the knowledge gap and feeling of greater safety among asthmatic teachers.

CONCLUSION

Teachers showed insufficient knowledge and reported fear and unpreparedness in the face of the situation.

Needs and expectations for an AR program for asthma education for school-age children in South Korea: The perspectives of children, parents, and teachers

Purpose

This study examined the needs for asthma education programs as perceived by school-age children, parents, and teachers and investigated parents' and teachers' expectations for incorporating augmented reality (AR) in asthma education.

Methods

This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 339 participants: 125 school-age children, 132 parents, and 82 teachers. Data were collected from children, parents, and teachers on the need for asthma education, the requirements for asthma education, and the expectations of parents and teachers for incorporating AR in asthma education. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, and the Scheffé test.

Results

Asthmatic children and their peers, parents, and teachers all felt there was a significant need for education about asthma, with education on how to deal with an asthma attack being needed the most. The incorporation of AR programs in asthma education was viewed positively by both parents and teachers.

Conclusion

An AR children's asthma education program should be developed in which children with asthma and their peers, parents, and teachers can participate together. Furthermore, it is expected that children with asthma will independently undertake more effective disease management after attending an AR asthma education program.

Child and caregiver experiences and perceptions of asthma self-management

Asthma is the most common chronic condition of childhood. Self-management is integral to good asthma control. This qualitative paper explores how children with asthma and their parents perceive asthma, their experience with asthma, and how they manage symptoms, preventions and medications within and outside the home. We undertook 15 focus groups with 41 school-aged (6-11 years) children with asthma and 38 parents. Parents and their children attended the same focus groups. We used thematic analysis to analyse the transcripts. Our findings show the impact asthma can have on children's social and emotional wellbeing and highlight how reliant school-aged children are on their parents to effectively manage their asthma. Parents reported being unsure when their child's symptoms warranted visiting their doctor or hospital. Schools were identified as a source of difficulty regarding asthma management; families reported that children may be self-conscious about their asthma and using their inhaler at school. School policies and teachers' lack of asthma knowledge were reported to exacerbate children's reluctance to use their inhaler at school. Our results have implications for the design and implementation of children's self-management interventions for their asthma, particularly when they are at school and away from their parents.

Stigma from medication use: an under recognised burden of care

Children with respiratory diseases take treatments for the self-management of symptoms and to maintain disease control. Often, these treatments need to be taken in social environments like school. Respiratory treatments can foster a feeling of difference and stigmatisation, which negatively impact on the quality of life and adherence to treatment. Such perceptions can lead to a less than optimal disease control, a vicious cycle leading to further social exclusion and stigma. This aspect of “burden of treatment” is poorly recognised by clinicians. Recognition of how treatments and clinical practice can contribute to stigma, can help address this burden of care.

Children with respiratory diseases take treatments for self-management and to maintain disease control in social environments. These can foster a feeling of difference and being stigmatised which negatively impacts on quality of life and adherence.https://bit.ly/3vV7840

A Mixed-methods Study Examining Inhaler Carry and Use among Children at School

Objective: Asthma self-management depends partly on access to inhalers; for children, this includes independent inhaler carry and use at school ("self-carry"). Although laws and policies support self-carry, little is known about practices within schools. This study aimed to identify factors associated with inhaler self-carry among children and examine barriers and facilitators to self-carry.Methods: This mixed-methods observational study included child-parent dyads and nurses from four Chicago schools. Children and parents answered questions about asthma care and morbidity, confidence in self-carry skills, and facilitators and barriers to self-carry. Nurses reported asthma documentation on file and their confidence in children's self-carry skills. Analysis utilized logistic regression. Thematic analysis was performed for open-ended questions.Results: Of 65 children enrolled (mean = 10.66 years), 45 (69.2%) reported having quick-relief medication at school, primarily inhalers, and 35 (53.8%) reported self-carry. Inhaler self-carry was associated with controller medication use and parent confidence in child's self-carry skills. Children and parents identified several facilitators to self-carry: child's asthma knowledge, inhaler characteristics, and need for easy inhaler access. Barriers included child's limited understanding of asthma and inhalers, perception that inhaler is not needed, and limited inhaler access. Children also emphasized social relationships as facilitators and barriers, while parents described children's responsibility as a facilitator and inconsistent policy implementation as a barrier.Conclusions: Efforts to improve inhaler self-carry at school should focus on educating children about asthma and inhaler use, creating supportive environments for self-carry among peers and teachers, and fostering consistent implementation and communication about asthma policy among schools and families.