title: Rural children with asthma: impact of a parent and child asthma education program.
abstract: The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an asthma educational intervention in improving asthma knowledge, self-efficacy, and quality of life in rural families. Children 6 to 12 years of age (62% male, 56% white, and 22% Medicaid) with persistent asthma (61%) were recruited from rural elementary schools and randomized into the control standard asthma education (CON) group or an interactive educational intervention (INT) group geared toward rural families.Parent/caregiver and child asthma knowledge, self-efficacy, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and at 10 months post enrollment. Despite high frequency of symptom reports, only 18% children reported an emergency department visit in the prior 6 months. Significant improvement in asthma knowledge was noted for INT parents and young INT children at follow-up (Parent: CON = 16.3; INT = 17.5, p < 0.001; Young children: CON = 10.8, INT = 12.45, p < 0.001). Child self-efficacy significantly increased in the INT group at follow-up; however, there was no significant difference in parent self-efficacy or parent and child quality of life at follow-up. Asthma symptom reports were significantly lower for the INT group at follow-up. For young rural children, an interactive asthma education intervention was associated with increased asthma knowledge and self-efficacy, decreased symptom reports, but not increased quality of life.
authors.affiliation: The Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. abutz@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Arlene
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Butz
authors.forename: Luu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: LaPricia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Cassis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winkelstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012424:Rural Population; D012648:Self Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016896:Treatment Outcome