Home-based asthma education of young low-income children and their families.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a controlled trial of a home-based education program for low-income caregivers of young children with asthma.


METHODS
Participants were randomized to treatment-eight weekly asthma education sessions adapted from the Wee Wheezers program (n = 49)-or usual care (n = 46). Baseline and 3- and 12-month follow-up data were gathered from caregivers and from children's medical records.


RESULTS
Treatment was associated with less bother from asthma symptoms, more symptom-free days, and better caregiver quality of life at follow-up for children 1-3, but not those 4-6, years of age. Treatment and control groups did not differ in caregiver asthma management behavior or children's acute care utilization.


CONCLUSIONS
This home-based asthma education program was most effective with younger children; perhaps their caregivers were more motivated to learn about asthma management. Targeting psychosocial factors associated with asthma morbidity might also enhance the efficacy of asthma education for these families.
Brown
Josephine V
JV
Georgia State University, USA.
Bakeman
Roger
R
Celano
Marianne P
MP
Demi
Alice S
AS
Kobrynski
Lisa
L
Wilson
Sandra R
SR
D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors