title: Evaluation of the Fight Asthma Now (FAN) program to improve asthma knowledge in urban youth and teenagers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  School-based asthma education programs targeting disadvantaged youth and teens with asthma are lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of the Fight Asthma Now (FAN) educational program among 2 populations of predominantly low-income minority students: youth (3(rd)-6(th) graders) and teens (7(th)-8(th) graders).
  
  
  METHODS
  Chicago-area elementary schools were invited to participate in this stratified 2-arm study. Eligible schools were assigned to participate either in the intervention or in the control arm. Within each participating school, eligible students were recruited and grouped (stratified by grade and age) to form teen or youth classes. Participants completed a pre- and post-intervention asthma knowledge questionnaire and observation for spacer technique competency. The treatment group received the FAN curriculum between the evaluations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A sample of 26 low-income, predominantly minority-serving schools was recruited. Most participating schools were randomized in a 3:1 ratio to form 25 youth classes (19 intervention and 6 control group) and 16 teen classes (11 intervention and 5 control group), resulting in 275 vs 69 youth and 141 vs 51 teens in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Stratified analyses were performed, and clustering within the school and class was taken into consideration in analyses. Multilevel models adjusting for school, class, ethnicity, sex, and pretest score indicate that the FAN intervention significantly increased both knowledge and spacer competency test scores, among both the youth and teen participants (P = .011 with respect to knowledge score among teen students, P < .0001 for all other cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that FAN significantly increases asthma knowledge and spacer technique competency within this high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. gmosnaim@rush.edu
authors.forename: Giselle S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mosnaim
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damitz
authors.forename: Lisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Zhengyun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talati
authors.forename: Farheen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mirza
authors.forename: DeJuran
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rachelefsky
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Africk
authors.forename: Lynda H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002641:Chicago; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012572:School Health Services; D012923:Social Class; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population