Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109811

Kathryn A. Boschert, Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Stockbridge Hall, 80 Campus Center Road, Amherst, MA 01003, 413 545 5736, boschert@resecon.umass.edu, Sylvia J. Brandt, PhD, Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Stockbridge Hall, Amherst, MA 01003-9246, and Matthew Sadof, MD, Baystate Medical Center Children's Hospital, Tufts University School of Medicine, 140 High Street, C-Level, Springfield, MA 01199.

This project evaluates the impact that a formal, asthma intervention program has on improving asthma management outcomes among children. Asthma is a chronic, but manageable disease disproportionately affecting urban, poor, minority children. The asthma intervention program targets this at-risk population. The program works with children with asthma and their parents to provide education on proper asthma management techniques. This project is an assessment of self-reported behavioral changes that intervention participants have taken to improve the quality of their child's life. This research is unique in that we are measuring health outcomes and improvements in asthma management in terms of quality of life changes, rather than looking at hospitalization data.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the impact that the asthma intervention program and other targeted program have on behavioral modifications.
• Recognize the importance of measuring improvements in health outcomes for chronic, manageable illnesses in terms of quality of life changes rather than changes hospitalization data.

Keywords: Asthma,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.