title: Home-based asthma education of young low-income children and their families.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Georgia State University, USA.
authors.forename: Josephine V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bakeman
authors.forename: Marianne P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Celano
authors.forename: Alice S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Demi
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kobrynski
authors.forename: Sandra R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: 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