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Coping Peer Intervention for Adherence

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Asthma
Interventions
Behavioral: Doctor Asthma Messages
Behavioral: Coping Peer Support
Behavioral: Asthma Supervision
Behavioral: Coping Peer Asthma Messages
Behavioral: Music Tracks
Registration Number
NCT01169883
Lead Sponsor
Rush University Medical Center
Brief Summary

Inner-city African American and Hispanic adolescents suffer from disproportionately high rates of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for acute exacerbations of asthma. This study proposes the use of a coping peer support intervention, enhanced by a technology-based platform that infuses peer support throughout adolescents' daily routines, to increase adherence to daily controller medications and ultimately reduce asthma exacerbation risk in this important population subgroup.

Detailed Description

High rates of asthma morbidity and mortality among inner-city African American and Hispanic adolescents demand urgent intervention. To address this disparity, the investigators have designed a culturally sensitive intervention aimed at improving adherence to daily controller medications for asthma, and ultimately reduce asthma exacerbation risk, that fits easily into adolescents' chaotic lifestyles.

The proposed study is a behavioral randomized controlled trial that tests if a coping peer intervention can increase adherence to asthma controller medications among urban African American and Hispanic adolescents 11 to 16 years of age. To ensure the project's success, the principal investigator has assembled a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, including behavioral and social science experts. The Specific Aims propose to: (1) evaluate the impact of a 10-week coping peer support intervention on adherence and knowledge, compared to an attention control; (2) evaluate the ability of a 10-week coping peer support intervention to achieve sustained post-treatment improvements in adherence and knowledge, compared to an attention control; and (3) to develop estimates needed for the design of a subsequent R01 behavioral controlled trial testing the efficacy of this intervention to decrease risk of asthma exacerbations. The study's primary outcome is adherence to daily asthma controller medications, measured using an objective electronic monitor. Study participants will be randomized to receive equal asthma supervision and music tracks plus either: (1) group support, coping peer group problem solving, and peer delivered asthma messages (intervention group); or (2) study team developed and recorded asthma health messages (attention control group) between music tracks, on a portable MP3 player. The group support and coping peer group problem solving consists of: putting subjects together in a small group to discuss barriers to adherence and ways to overcome these barriers; then having group members record messages to each other about overcoming barriers that will be played on their MP3 player, between music tracks, during the course of their daily routines. This effectively brings the coping peer support from the group into the course of the adolescents' day-to-day lives. The investigators hypothesize that it is the ability of the MP3 player to facilitate ongoing peer support that will be the basis for improved adherence. The long term goal is to apply the data from this research to submit an R01 grant application to conduct a behavioral randomized trial evaluating the effectiveness of this coping peer intervention to improve adherence, and ultimately reduce asthma exacerbations, in urban African American and Hispanic adolescents with asthma.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
107
Inclusion Criteria
  • Self-identify as African American or Hispanic
  • 11-16 years of age
  • Have persistent asthma
  • Be on a prescription daily inhaled steroid medication for asthma
Exclusion Criteria
  • Candidate refusal
  • Presence of other co-morbidities that could interfere with study participation
  • greater than 47% adherence to daily inhaled steroid medication as measured at baseline using the Doser CT

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Attention Control GroupDoctor Asthma Messages1) Doctor Asthma Messages delivered over a 10 week time period; 2) Asthma Supervision; and 3) Music Tracks.
Attention Control GroupAsthma Supervision1) Doctor Asthma Messages delivered over a 10 week time period; 2) Asthma Supervision; and 3) Music Tracks.
Attention Control GroupMusic Tracks1) Doctor Asthma Messages delivered over a 10 week time period; 2) Asthma Supervision; and 3) Music Tracks.
Intervention GroupCoping Peer Support1) Coping Peer Support delivered over a 10 week time period; 2) Coping Peer Asthma Messages delivered over a 10 week time period; 3) Asthma Supervision; and 4) Music Tracks.
Intervention GroupCoping Peer Asthma Messages1) Coping Peer Support delivered over a 10 week time period; 2) Coping Peer Asthma Messages delivered over a 10 week time period; 3) Asthma Supervision; and 4) Music Tracks.
Intervention GroupAsthma Supervision1) Coping Peer Support delivered over a 10 week time period; 2) Coping Peer Asthma Messages delivered over a 10 week time period; 3) Asthma Supervision; and 4) Music Tracks.
Intervention GroupMusic Tracks1) Coping Peer Support delivered over a 10 week time period; 2) Coping Peer Asthma Messages delivered over a 10 week time period; 3) Asthma Supervision; and 4) Music Tracks.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Objectively measured adherence to inhaled corticosteroids using an electronic dose counter, (Doser CT; Meditrac, Inc., Hudson, MA)10 weeks

Adherence is measured as the average of daily adherence to prescribed inhaled corticosteroid medication dose over 14 days at both baseline and at 10 weeks. The average rate of adherence in the intervention group at 10-weeks will be compared to that in the attention control group, adjusting for baseline levels, using a hierarchical linear model since participants are clustered into groups.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Asthma Knowledge assessed using the ZAP Asthma Knowledge Instrument10 weeks

The average score on the ZAP Asthma Knowledge Instrument in the intervention group at 10-weeks will be compared to that in the attention control group, adjusting for baseline levels, using a hierarchical linear model since participants are clustered into groups.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Rush University Medical Center

🇺🇸

Chicago, Illinois, United States

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