Learning asthma: Linking asthma education to urban youth's perspectives and experiences

The high incidence of asthma in urban communities has several ramifications. One is the reality that many urban youth have extensive experience with asthma. A second issue is the necessity for these young people to acquire an in-depth understanding of this disease. However, while many asthma curricula are designed to address this second factor, few take advantage of the first. Thus, too many curricula neglect to link what students know about the disease to the new information being presented. Since the connection between “new” and “known” is pivotal to engaged and powerful learning, this gap is problematic. This presentation addresses that gap, focusing on specific approaches educators can use to support youth's in-depth learning about health and disease. The effectiveness of these approaches is supported by findings from research on urban youth's perspectives on asthma. Participants (N=14) were between the ages of 12-15 who expressed a desire to share and develop their knowledge about asthma. The majority identifies as Latina/o. Data were collected through ongoing focus groups and interviews using activities that explored participants' conceptualizations of asthma. Data were analyzed recursively using constant comparison analysis and protocols grounded in critical sociocultural tenets. Results evidence the significant potential that role play, story-telling, image, and open-ended discussion have for learning about youth's understandings of asthma, their perspectives on medical recommendations, misconceptions and questions. These findings are significant in that they illuminate specific approaches health educators can use to support urban youth's engaged learning about disease and health management.