A pilot study assessing the impact of a learner-centered adult asthma self-management program on psychological outcomes

The purpose of the research was to determine if an adult asthma self-management program could significantly improve psychological outcomes for participants. Small groups of adults met for 2 hours for 7 consecutive weeks. Intervention techniques included interactive discussions, problem solving, social support, and a behavior modification procedure. The behavior modification procedure consisted of homework assignments in which participants were asked to self-monitor and record asthma-specific behaviors (peak expiratory flow monitoring, avoidance/removal of asthma triggers, and controller medication adherence) and general lifestyle behaviors (drinking water, washing hands, and exercising). Paired sample t tests indicated statistically significant improvements for the outcomes of quality of life, depression, and self-efficacy. Significant increases were found in knowledge and behaviors, such as peak-flow monitoring and frequency of daily exercise. These results provide initial evidence that our program was effective, although the small sample size and lack of control group indicate the need for further research.