The present study investigated schools as an appropriate context for an intervention designed to produce clinical and psychological benefits for children with asthma. A total of 193 out of 219 (88.1%) children with asthma (aged 7-9 yrs) from 23 out of 24 (95.8%) schools completed the study. Intervention schools received a staff asthma-training session, advice on asthma policy, an emergency beta2-agonist inhaler with spacer and whole-class asthma workshops. Nonintervention schools received no asthma-related input. Intervention children required less general practitioner-prescribed preventer medication despite no differences in symptom control compared with the nonintervention asthmatic group. Increased peer knowledge of asthma may have mediated improved active quality of life in the intervention group, together with increased self-esteem in young females. Those females not receiving the intervention, but identified as being asthmatic within the classroom, and thus possibly stigmatised, reported decreased self-esteem. Lower self-esteem in young males was associated with pet ownership. No change was found in staff knowledge, the establishment of asthma policies or school absences which were low even before intervention. In conclusion, a whole-school intervention can improve the health of children with asthma when followed with support for all children but effects are likely to be modified by sex and the home environment.
This report describes the evaluation of a whole-school intervention to improve morbidity and psychosocial well-being in pupils with asthma. In all, 193 children with asthma (7-9 years) from 23 primary/junior schools in the south of England participated. Schools (n = 12) randomly assigned to the intervention group (IV) received a staff asthma training session, advice on asthma policy and practice and an emergency beta(2)-agonist inhaler with spacer. Pupils participated in an asthma lesson. Staff and pupils in non-intervention (NI) schools (n = 11) received no asthma-oriented input. While wheeze reports improved for all children with asthma, only the IV group showed lower requirement for medication (P = 0.01), clinically significant improvement (P < 0.05) in activity related quality of life (QOL) and increased self-esteem (SE: social P = 0.01; athletic P = 0.05; behaviour P = 0.001) in girls. SE decreased for NI girls but there was no change for non-asthmatic peers in NI or IV schools which had similar baseline levels of SE and QOL. There was a marginal improvement in the establishment of asthma policies/practices and no change in school absence or staff knowledge. The significantly increased peer group understanding of asthma seen in the intervention schools may have mediated increased well-being in the IV group. Primary schools are a potentially important context for improving asthma morbidity and psychosocial well-being of children with asthma.
The present study investigated schools as an appropriate context for an intervention designed to produce clinical and psychological benefits for children with asthma. A total of 193 out of 219 (88.1%) children with asthma (aged 7-9 yrs) from 23 out of 24 (95.8%) schools completed the study. Intervention schools received a staff asthma-training session, advice on asthma policy, an emergency beta2-agonist inhaler with spacer and whole-class asthma workshops. Nonintervention schools received no asthma-related input. Intervention children required less general practitioner-prescribed preventer medication despite no differences in symptom control compared with the nonintervention asthmatic group. Increased peer knowledge of asthma may have mediated improved active quality of life in the intervention group, together with increased self-esteem in young females. Those females not receiving the intervention, but identified as being asthmatic within the classroom, and thus possibly stigmatised, reported decreased self-esteem. Lower self-esteem in young males was associated with pet ownership. No change was found in staff knowledge, the establishment of asthma policies or school absences which were low even before intervention. In conclusion, a whole-school intervention can improve the health of children with asthma when followed with support for all children but effects are likely to be modified by sex and the home environment.
