196824 Asthma education delivery by preschool center staff: A feasibility pilot study

Wednesday, November 11, 2009: 11:00 AM

Yamnia Ivelisse Cortés, BA , Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies (CUES), The New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY
Sebastian Bonner, PhD , Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY
Keosha T. Bond, MPH, CHES , Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY
David Evans, PhD , Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism among preschool children in underserved minority communities. Interventions composed of monitoring, education, and improved patient-provider partnerships have been recommended to reduce the impact of asthma. Through a four-session training workshop, twelve family workers from three preschool centers in NYC were trained to deliver an asthma education curriculum (INSPIRE) previously delivered by trained health educators, to parents of enrolled preschool children with asthma. Four 45-minute training sessions, lead by an experienced asthma health educator, were conducted at participating preschool centers. Material covered included asthma knowledge, patient-provider communication, and the delivery of an INSPIRE module that addresses different learning needs and different degrees of readiness to control asthma. Upon completion of the training sessions, pretest/posttest measures of asthma knowledge increased by an average of 40%. Monthly follow-up meetings, and a focus group conducted four months after the training sessions, indicated that 25% of family workers reported delivering an INSPIRE module and all expressed increased comfort in discussing asthma with parents. Asthma education was conducted at any point of contact with parents: during intake, parent committee meetings, or by individual appointments. The level of institutional support was associated with the amount of education delivered. This model suggests that family workers may be a new brand of asthma educators. Further studies with a larger sample and in different settings are necessary.

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the role of family workers in preschool centers. 2. Describe asthma training family workers received to deliver INSPIRE. 3. List the advantages of having family workers conduct asthma education.

Keywords: Asthma, Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: The abstract being submitted is on an original research study conducted for completion of my MPH degree.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.