Asthma management practices and education needs of head start directors and staff.
Limited information exists regarding asthma management practices and education needs of Head Start directors and staff. This paper describes asthma management practices and education needs of Head Start directors and staff in 15 Baltimore, Md., Head Start programs. From February to December 2000, all Head Start staff and directors were asked to complete a survey. Data from 268 Head Start staff and 12 Head Start directors were analyzed. Results revealed discrepancies between Head Start staff and directors regarding location of asthma medications and presence of asthma action plans in programs. Both Head Start staff and directors stated they had no curriculum to teach Head Start children how to manage asthma. This finding provides evidence that asthma education is needed in Head Start programs. Findings also indicate a need for improved communication between Head Start directors and staff.
Huss
Karen
K
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 North Wolfe St., #416, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. khuss@son.jhmi.edu
Winkelstein
Marilyn
M
Calabrese
Barbara
B
Butz
Arlene
A
Reshef
Shoshana
S
Rand
Cynthia
C
Gilpin
Adele
A
D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000193:education; D001249:Asthma / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D015142:Baltimore; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D019468:Disease Management; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012572:School Health Services; D012923:Social Class; D000078329:Workforce