Impact of a Curriculum Intervention on Asthma Knowledge in Adolescents of a Public School in Salvador-Bahia-Brazil

Asthma is one of major causes of morbidity and mortality due to chronic diseases worldwide with higher mortality and morbidity in adolescents. Interventions directed to adolescents and systematically developed within the school environment has been performed around the world. In spite of that, studies such Bruzzese (2004; 2011) have already shown that clinical interventions associated with educational activities in group composed of individuals with similar lifestyles and characteristics are able to modify the behavior of the individual as well as reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Thus, it is necessary to develop this study.

This study is a controlled clinical trial. The intervention will be a curriculum intervention on asthma. This intervention will consist of theoretical - practical weekly workshops with a targeted content for asthma and involves aspects related to anatomy and physiology of the respiratory tract, conceptualization of asthma, prevention, treatment, maintenance and retrieval; recognition and actions in periods of exacerbations and use the action plan. These workshops are suitable for the course plan of disciplines sciences, biology, chemistry, physics, history , geography, portuguese and mathematics . Those are characterized as a mandatory curriculum component and they should be developed for all students in elementary and secondary education.

In parallel curriculum intervention, the investigators will identify the frequency of individuals with diagnosis/symptoms suggestive of asthma by applying the ISAAC questionnaire and verification of Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) using the portable Vitalograph copd - 6. This assessment will identify students with suspected asthma, symptoms suggestive of asthma and asthma diagnosed.

The curriculum will be organized educational intervention with school staff to be applied to the intervention group (it includes all students from 10 to 19 years previously registered. The afternoon shift is defined as the intervention group and may participate asthmatic and non-asthmatic students). It is noteworthy that, subsequently, the same intervention will be performed with the control group (in which students participate in the morning shift and may participate in asthmatic and non-asthmatic students). The intervention group will receive a complementary intervention where questions directed reinforce attitudes in periods of exacerbation and use the action plan, while the control group will receive this same intervention after the study.

The study will be held at the College Presidente Emilio Garrastazu Medici (Currently its name is College Estadual do Stiep Carlos Marighella) which is a school unit with medium-sized and offers all series of the second segment of the Elementary School, Middle School and Professional Education. This school was chosen because of system of evaluation and teaching methodology as well defined in its political pedagogical project.