A+ Asthma Early Intervention in Asthma Management

BACKGROUND:

While increased asthma morbidity and mortality have been observed across all ethnicities, results from several studies have found that asthma morbidity has increased disproportionately in low-income African American children. Elementary school-based asthma education programs have shown promise in improving asthma management, and reducing asthma morbidity in this high-risk population, however, the fastest growing asthma risk is associated with children young than six. By elementary age many parents and children with asthma have well-established patterns of inappropriate asthma management that may be difficult to change. To date, no research has examined the impact of early intervention for asthma management in low-income, high-risk children.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

Head Start sites will be randomized to either a minimal intervention control group or the A+ Asthma early intervention program designed to educate and assist Head Start teachers and family service coordinators to: optimize classroom management of asthma, educate, facilitate and reinforce appropriate parental medical and behavioral management of asthma, and instruct, model and reinforce early asthma knowledge and age-appropriate skills for preschool age children.

The primary outcome that the study was designed to evaluate Head Start absences/days enrolled, determined by review of Head Start attendance records.