School-based asthma programs.
Asthma is prevalent in school-age children and contributes to school absenteeism and limitation of activity. There is a sizable literature on school-based interventions for asthma that attempt to identify children with asthma and improve outcomes. The purpose of this review is to describe and discuss limitations of screening tools and school-based asthma interventions. Identification of children with asthma may be appropriate in schools located in districts with a high prevalence of children experiencing significant morbidity and a high prevalence of undiagnosed asthma, provided there is access to high-quality asthma care. We review strategies for improving access to care, for teaching self-management skills in schools, and for improving school personnel management skills. Although studies indicate that school-based programs have the potential to improve outcomes, competing priorities in the educational system present challenges to their implementation and emphasize the need for practical, targeted, and cost-effective strategies.
Bruzzese
Jean-Marie
JM
New York University Child Study Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Evans
David
D
Kattan
Meyer
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D012572:School Health Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D012574:Schools; D012648:Self Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends