Feasibility and impact of a school-based intervention for families of urban adolescents with asthma: results from a randomized pilot trial

Fam Process. 2008 Mar;47(1):95-113. doi: 10.1111/j.1545-5300.2008.00241.x.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and short-term outcomes of Asthma: It's a Family Affair!, a school-based intervention for adolescents with asthma and their caregivers. Twenty-four ethnic minority families with a middle school student with asthma were randomized to immediate intervention or no-treatment control. Intervention students received six group sessions on prevention and management of asthma. Caregivers received five group sessions teaching child-rearing skills to support the youth's autonomy and asthma self-management. All students attended all sessions; caregivers attended an average of three. Two months post-intervention, relative to controls, intervention caregivers reported better problem-solving with children. Intervention students were more responsible for carrying medication, took more prevention steps, and woke fewer nights from asthma. The intervention resulted in positive short-term changes in family relations, asthma management by students, and health status.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Asthma / prevention & control*
  • Caregivers*
  • Child
  • Ethnicity
  • Family Relations*
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Minority Groups
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care
  • Pilot Projects
  • Program Development*
  • Program Evaluation
  • Psychological Tests
  • Self Care
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Urban Population*