[Development and effectiveness of a tailored education program for caregivers of asthmatic children].
BACKGROUND
We developed a tailored education program using a touch-screen computer for changing management behavior with asthmatic children and their caregivers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the tailored education program.


METHODS
Caregivers including children with asthma were recruited during visits to a national children's hospital and those whose month-long asthma condition on the JPAC (Japanese Pediatric Asthma Program) score was 14 and below were included. Caregivers were randomized to the tailored education (intervention group) or non-tailored education (control group). The intervention group underwent a patient education program using a touch-screen computer, and they received tailored messages generated by a computer program. A research nurse and clinical psychologist used a computer-based resource to tailor the education messages and provided counseling using motivational interviewing for the caregivers including children with asthma. The control group received only a booklet on asthma.


RESULTS
Forty-seven subjects aged 1 to 6 years were enrolled. Forty-seven caregivers were randomized to the tailored education (n=22) or non-tailored education (n=25) group. The results of two-way ANOVA showed that interactions between groups were observed in the score of JPAC and asthma knowledge for preschool children whose asthma onset was within one year and a half. The main effects of time were observed in the total and subscale score of QOL (Quality of Life) and the total score of P-CASES (Parental Childhood Asthma's Self-efficacy Scale).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate the benefit of a tailored education program to control symptoms in such caregivers.
College of Nursing, Kanto Gakuin University; Division of Allergy, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Misa
M
Iio
Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University.
Koji
K
Takenaka
Division of Allergy, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Masami
M
Narita
Division of Allergy, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Masaki
M
Futamura
Former Division of Allergy, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Mana
M
Hamaguchi
Department of Nursing, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Kanako
K
Fukushima
Department of Nursing, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Orie
O
Yamano
Department of Nursing, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Jun
J
Haraguchi
General Pediatrics and Interdisciplinary Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Hirokazu
H
Sakai
General Pediatrics and Interdisciplinary Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Akira
A
Ishiguro
Division of Allergy, National Center for Child Health and Development.
Yukihiro
Y
Ohya
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D001525:Behavioral Sciences; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016730:Program Development; D011788:Quality of Life; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013224:Status Asthmaticus / Q000517:prevention & control*