Asthma control in London secondary school children.
OBJECTIVE
The asthma control test (ACT) is a validated tool for assessing control in asthmatic children aged 12 years and older. Using the ACT, we sought to assess asthma control and knowledge in London secondary school children.


METHODS
Secondary schools in London, UK, participated in this study. Children with doctor-diagnosed asthma were invited to complete an online questionnaire that included the ACT and questions about asthma. Suboptimal asthma control was defined as an ACT score of ≤ 19 out of a maximum score of 25. Data are summarised as median and interquartile range (IQR), and were analysed by either Mann-Whitney test, or chi-square test. A p value of < 0.05 was considered significant.


RESULTS
A total of 799 children completed the questionnaire; 689 (86.2%) were included for analysis. Suboptimal asthma control was reported by 49.6% of students. Over a third (42.4%) of students prescribed a short-acting β2-agonist inhaler felt uncomfortable using it at school, and 29.2% (n = 173) reported not using this inhaler when wheezy. 56.4% (n = 220) of those with regular inhaled corticosteroids did not take them as prescribed, and 41.7% did not know what this inhaler was for. Suboptimal control was associated with a greater proportion of students reporting that they were 'somewhat', 'hardly' or 'not at all' comfortable using inhalers at school (52.7% vs 29.1%, p < 0.01) and outside school (22.8% vs. 14.8%, p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Suboptimal asthma control and poor asthma knowledge are common in London schoolchildren.
a Centre for Genomics and Child Health , Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry , London , UK.
Katherine
K
Harris
a Centre for Genomics and Child Health , Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry , London , UK.
Gioia
G
Mosler
a Centre for Genomics and Child Health , Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry , London , UK.
Samson A
SA
Williams
a Centre for Genomics and Child Health , Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry , London , UK.
Abigail
A
Whitehouse
b Department of Applied Health Research , University College London , London , UK.
Rosalind
R
Raine
a Centre for Genomics and Child Health , Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry , London , UK.
Jonathan
J
Grigg
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D011788:Quality of Life; D044469:Racial Groups; D012574:Schools
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
Paediatrics; treatment