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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sheryl Magzamen¹, Joan Edelstein, DrPH, RN², Beryl Shaw, RN³, Adam Davis, MA, MPH³, Bina Patel³, and Ira Tager, MD, MPH¹. (1) School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 140 Warren Hall #7360, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, (510) 643-4407, magzamen@berkeley.edu, (2) Oakland Unified School District/Alameda County Department of Public Health, 2850 West Street, Oakland, CA 94608, (3) American Lung Association of the East Bay, 1900 Powell Street, Suite 800, Emeryville, CA 94608

In urban communities with high prevalence of childhood asthma, school-based educational programs may be the most appropriate setting to deliver interventions to improve asthma morbidity and asthma-related outcomes. “Kickin' Asthma” is a school-based asthma curriculum, designed by health educators and local students, which teaches asthma physiology, asthma self-management, and proper medication use to groups of middle and high school students in Oakland, CA. Eligible students are identified through an in-class case-identification survey. The curriculum is delivered by an asthma nurse in a series of four, 50-minute sessions. Students completed pretest and a three month follow up test. Of the 3,171 students surveyed during the 2004-05 school year, 15.3% (n=487) were identified as asthmatic. A total of 390 students (80.1% eligible) participated in the program. Comparing the pretest to follow up data, initial results indicate that students experienced fewer missed school days (1.02 v. 0.75, 95% CI for difference: 0.01, 0.28) and fewer days with activity limitations (3.48 v. 2.53, 95% CI for difference: 0.32, 1.6) after participating in the intervention. There was a significant reduction in the proportion of students reporting at least one Emergency Department or hospital visit (27.0 v. 13.8, 95% CI for difference: -30.2%, -9.3%.) Fifty-eight percent of students (n=114) reported regularly using controller medication after participating in the intervention, compared to 44% (n=82) previous to participating (95% CI for difference: 5.1%, 21.1%). A school-based asthma curriculum designed for urban students has been shown to improve quality of life, symptoms, and health care utilization for intervention participants.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the opportunities for schools to serve as a primary environment for asthma education.
• List the components of a comprehensive school-based asthma education program.
• Understand the significance of key outcomes measured by the program evaluation.

Keywords: Asthma, School-Based Programs

Awards: SHES Outstanding Student Research Abstract Award - Recipient

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No