Health outcomes among African American and Caucasian adults following a randomized trial of an asthma education program.
OBJECTIVE
Re-analysis of a randomized trial of an asthma education program designed to assess the effects of the intervention on emergency department visits, limited days of activity and asthma knowledge and beliefs separately for African American and Caucasian adults with asthma.


METHODS
Two hundred and forty-one respondents between the ages of 18 and 70 were evaluated in two emergency departments (one inner city and one suburban location) of a large, midwestern health care system and were randomized to an intervention or control group.


RESULTS
Regardless of race, members of the intervention group showed a decrease in the number of post-intervention emergency department visits (ANOVA interaction between race and group effect p value = 0.93). The greatest decrease occurred during the first four post-intervention months. No differential effect of the asthma education intervention by race was found on the change in asthma knowledge and beliefs over the study period (ANCOVA interaction between race and group effect p value = 0.60).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that post-intervention, both African American and Caucasian study participants showed a decrease in emergency department visits and an increase in asthma self-management. This finding is especially important for African Americans, who face increasing asthma mortality and morbidity.
Ford
M E
ME
Center for Medical Treatment Effectiveness Programs (MEDTEP), Detroit, MI, USA.
Havstad
S L
SL
Tilley
B C
BC
Bolton
M B
MB
D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education*; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People / Q000193:education*