Dissemination of Evidence-Based School Asthma Management Programs: Piloting Asthma 411 in an Urban Texas School District

Student knowledge gains among first-time and repeat attendees of school-based asthma education program

BACKGROUND

Because children spend much of their time in schools, schools can play an important role in asthma education for the one in 12 affected children in the United States. School-based asthma education programs are commonly repeated annually, however few studies have evaluated the impact of repeated participation in asthma education in school-based programs.

METHODS

This observational study evaluated the impact of Fight Asthma Now© (FAN), a school-based asthma education program for children in Illinois schools. Participants completed a survey at the start and end of the program, including demographics, prior asthma education, and 11 asthma knowledge questions (maximum knowledge score = 11).

RESULTS

Among 4,951 youth participating in the school-based asthma education program, mean age was 10.75 years. Approximately half were male and Black. Over half reported no prior asthma education (54.6%). At baseline, repeat attendees had significantly higher knowledge versus first-time attendees (mean: 7.45 versus 5.92; p < 0.001). After the program, both first-time and repeat attendees had significant knowledge improvements (first-time: mean = 5.92◊9.32; p < 0.001; repeat: mean = 7.45◊9.62; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

School-based asthma education is effective for increasing asthma knowledge. Notably, repeated asthma education in school leads to incremental benefits for knowledge. Future studies are needed to understand the effects of repeated asthma education on morbidity.

Updates in school-based asthma management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

School-based asthma management is an important component of pediatric asthma care that has the potential to provide more universal evidence-based asthma care to children and mitigate asthma-related health inequities. The purpose of this review is to highlight relevant developments in school-based asthma management over the past 2 years.

RECENT FINDINGS

There have been considerable recent scientific advances in school-based asthma management including robust clinical trials of environmental interventions in the classroom setting, school-nurse led interventions, stock albuterol policy changes, school-based telemedicine approaches and innovative methods to engage community stakeholders in research that have pushed the frontiers of school-based asthma care.

SUMMARY

Recent scientific work in school-based asthma management demonstrates the potential power of schools in providing access to guideline-based asthma care for all children with asthma and in improving their health outcomes. Future work should focus on the evaluation of methods to promote the adoption of school-based asthma management strategies in real-world practice and support evidence-based policy change and strategic partnerships to improve asthma health outcomes and produce meaningful public health impact for diverse children and families.