School-based Supervised Asthma Therapy

OVERVIEW

School-based supervised asthma therapy is an intervention that involves staff members supervising children’s use of inhaled corticosteroid medications in school and correcting improper use of inhalers. An evaluation found a positive impact for episodes of poor asthma control.

 

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: Children with asthma who use daily controller medication

 

School-based supervised asthma therapy is a 15-month intervention in which staff members observe children taking their inhaled corticosteroid medications every day at school . If the child incorrectly uses their inhaler, they are taught how to properly use it.

 

EVALUATION OF PROGRAM

Evaluated population: 290 children with asthma who used daily controller medication and were enrolled in any of the 36 participating schools. The sample was 57 percent male and 91 percent Black; the average age was 11 years.

 

Approach: Students were randomly assigned to supervised therapy or the usual care condition. Usual care consisted of continuation of the usual parent- or self-supervised daily inhaled corticosteroid treatment. Data were collected during a three-month baseline period prior to the intervention, and throughout the 15-month intervention, on episodes of poor asthma control, defined as absence from school because of asthma or a respiratory illness, average use of rescue medication of more than twice a week over the course of a month, or more than one peak flow reading of less than 80 percent of the best value in a month.

 

Results: A positive impact was found for episodes of poor asthma control, with students in the supervised therapy group less likely to experience an episode of poor asthma control than students in the usual care group during the intervention.

 

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

References

Gerald, L.B., McClure, L.A., Mangan, J.M., Harrington, K.F., Gibson, L., Erwin, S., Atchison, J., & Grad, R. (2009). Increasing adherence to inhaled steroid therapy among schoolchildren: Randomized, controlled trial of school-based supervised asthma therapy. Pediatrics, 123, 466-474.

 

Contact information

Lynn B. Gerald

UAB Lung Health center

OHB 138

619 19^th St. South

Birmingham, AL 35249-7337

geraldl@uab.edu

 

KEYWORDS: Children (3-11), Adolescents (12-17), Elementary, Middle School, Males and Females (Co-ed), School-based, Health Status/Conditions

Program information last updated on 12/15/10.

 

 

		© Child Trends 2004