Research poster: Community-based Research to Address Asthma Management and Prevention. Read the full story: http://sc-ctsi.org/index.php/news-dev/the-most-powerful-weapon-against-asthma-is-education#.UeNOeWRARhU
View the booklet now "What you can do about your child's asthma" - http://sc-ctsi.org/assets/asthma/flash-booklet/
This SC CTSI-supported study was developed by: Marisela Robles, MS; Katrina Kubicek, MA; Michele D. Kipke, PhD - SC Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; Neal Richman, PhD; Saba Firoozi, MPH - BREATHE California of Los Angeles County; Charlene Chen, MHS; Hannah Valino, MPH - COPE Health Solutions.
Learn more about SC CTSI at USC and CHLA: http://sc-ctsi.org/
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Community-based Research to Address Asthma Management and Prevention
1. Community-based Research to Address Asthma
Management and Prevention
Katrina Kubicek, MA, Marisela Robles, MS, Michele D. Kipke, PhD
Neal Richman, PhD, Saba Firoozi , MPH, Charlene Chen, MHS, Hannah Valino, MPH
Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,
BREATHE California of Los Angeles County, COPE Health Solutions
ABSTRACT
• This project represents a partnership between the Community Engagement
program from the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute
(SC CTSI), BREATHE California of Los Angeles County (BREATHE LA) - a non-profit
organization committed to improving lung health and air quality through
education and practice - and COPE Health Solutions, a healthcare management
group which facilitates a consortium of community clinics to improve
communication and coordination of services.
• This group formed to address the high rates of childhood asthma in the
community of Long Beach within Los Angeles County.
• Long Beach is particularly burdened with higher rates of childhood asthma,
where asthma affects 21.9% of children ages 5-17, compared with 15.6%, 18%, and
14.2% in LA County, CA and the US respectively.6
• This project provides guidelines on how to apply community-based participatory
research (CBPR) methods to inform the adaptation of an asthma education
curriculum designed for after-school settings.
• Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States,
particularly within minority populations and it is the leading cause of school
absence due to chronic disease and accounts for three times more lost school
days than any other cause. 1-3, 5-8
• In urban Los Angeles, children living along congested freeways and ports and
other industrial areas are at similarly increased risk.2
Interventions for Asthma Management
• Over the last several years, we have seen an increase in the provision of asthma
education in school –based settings. 3-4 Providing health-related education in
school settings may be an effective method given that children are accustomed
to receiving instruction and that the emphasis is typically teaching the child how
to manage his/her asthma rather than relying on the parent to do so. 4
• In general, school-based programs were found to be effective in increasing
knowledge about asthma.
Afterschool Settings for Health Promotion
• Afterschool programs offer a unique opportunity to provide health-related or
other educational materials. With most school districts facing drastic budget
cuts and limited time to provide the required coursework, it can be challenging
to integrate new information into the school curriculum.
BACKGROUND
METHODS
DATA ANALYSIS AND
CONCEPTUAL MODEL
• The conceptual framework for this study was influenced primarily by our research goals and
by reviewing other asthma prevention and management curricula. In addition, based on
discussions with our CABs, we identified topics that are important for effective asthma
management. Using the conceptual model below as a guide, code reports were reviewed and
presented to the research team and CAB for further discussion on how to best interpret and
integrate the data into the asthma curriculum.
Based on Empowerment Theory and Social Support -
both of which have been linked to improved health outcomes
RESULTS
CURRICULUM ADAPTATION
The Photovoice sessions helped inform the adaptation of the BREATHE LA asthma curriculum. The Photovoice
sessions helped to highlight relevant changes to the curriculum to make it more grounded in the knowledge and
experiences of the target population.
Buddy System
One of the unique features of this asthma curriculum is that it is provided to children with and without asthma.
Therefore, it is important to identify how those without asthma can use the information provided to them. Data
from the Photovoice sessions indicate that children with asthma often feel left out of certain activities. Thus, the
resulting curriculum includes a new section in which students are matched with a “buddy”. This buddy system
ensures that students with asthma have a friend who can assist them in the event of an asthma attack as well as
someone that they can play with in less strenuous activities when they are not feeling well.
Physical Activity
In addition, the Photovoice sessions highlighted the need to educate youth on how children with asthma can
engage in physical activities. The resulting curriculum includes a new emphasis on this area and provides some
guidance on how children with asthma can be physically active without exacerbating their asthma condition. This
is an important inclusion as there is currently a body of research investigating the relationship between asthma
and obesity.
Advocacy
Many of the students and parents discussed ways that can change the environments in which they live to make
them healthier for people with asthma. Parents recognized the potential risks from the refineries, ports and
freeways in their community. While they said they often felt “powerless” to stop them, many of the parents left
the Photovoice sessions inspired to try to enact change in their communities. Given the interest trying to evoke
change, a new section on advocacy has been introduced into the curriculum. Students are encouraged to take on
a project in their homes, school or community to make it safer for them and their friends and family. Activities
such as letter writing, poster making and other simple activities have been introduced to encourage students to be
more assertive in identifying issues that may be hazardous to their well-being.
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS
• This study provides guidelines for how to conduct a CBPR project with the goal of creating a community-driven
and scientifically-grounded asthma curriculum. For example, this is the first asthma curriculum that we have
identified that integrates social support as a way to mediate positive health outcomes.
• The next steps for this project will be to take the newly adapted curriculum into an efficacy trial to identify
whether the desired outcomes are met.
REFERENCES
1. Akinbami L. The State of Childhood Asthma, United States, 1980–2005. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health
Statistics; December 29, 2006 2006.
2. Brim S, Rudd R, Funk R, Callahan D. Asthma Prevalence Among US Children in Underrepresented Minority
Populations: American Indian/Alaska Native, Chinese, Filipino, and Asian Indian. Pediatrics. July 2008
2008;122(1):e217-e222.
3. Christiansen SC, Zuraw BL. Serving the underserved: School based asthma intervention programs. Journal of
Asthma 2002;39(6):463-472.
4. Coffman JM, Cabana MD, Yelin EH. Do school-based asthma education programs improve self-management and
health outcomes? Pediatrics 2009;124:729-742.
5. Lieu TA, Lozano P, Finkelstein JA, et al. Racial/ethnic variation in asthma status and management practices
among children in managed medicaid. Pediatrics 2002;109(5):857-865.
6. McDaniel M, Paxson C, Waldfogel J. Racial Disparities in Childhood Asthma in the United States: Evidence From
the National Health Interview Survey, 1997 to 2003. Pediatrics. 2006;117:e868-e877.
7. Newacheck P, Halfon N. Prevalence, Impact, and Trends in Childhood Disability Due to Asthma. Archives of
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. March 2000 2000;154:287-293.
8. Simon P, Zeng Z, Wold C, Haddock W, Fielding J. Prevalence of Childhood Asthma and Associated Morbidity in
Los Angeles County: Impacts of Race/Ethnicity and Income. Journal of Asthma. 2003;40(5):535-543.
9. Smith L, Hatcher-Ross J, Werthmeimer R, Kahn R. Rethinking Race/Ethnicity, Income, and Childhood Asthma:
Racial/Ethnic Disparities Concentrated Among the Very Poor. Public Health Reports. March/April 2005 2005;120:109-
120.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
National Institutes of Health
Grant number UL1RR031986
Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach Staff
Healthcare Community Advisory Board Members
Parent Advisory Board Members
Our project was guided by two community advisory boards (CABS). One
comprised of healthcare providers and advocates and another comprised of
parents of children with asthma. See Figure 1 for details on methods.
Limitations for Children with Asthma
The majority of the limitations mentioned by participants had to do with not being able to be
physically active. In general, students and parents both felt that participating in physical activity,
especially “rough” physical activity, would bring about an asthma attack and therefore limited the
activities in which children with asthma could participate. One student spoke about the competitive
nature that he had and how he had to fight against the desire to compete with his friends while still
being cognizant of his health: “If other people challenge you and you want to take the challenge, and
you know you can’t but you are competitive so at the end, you’re out of breath and might have an
asthma attack.”
A less common but still present theme related to limitations was participants identifying
the inability to play, pet or be around animals and pets such as cats. “If they [children] have asthma
they can’t touch them [pets] or pet them… or get near them… they get asthma.”
Social Support
Given the high rates of asthma in the surrounding community, all of the children and parents involved
in the Photovoice session had someone close to them (friend or family member) who was diagnosed
with asthma. Thus, issues related to what to do if you see a friend having an asthma attack were
often discussed. One student reported that she would often give her friends advice on what activities
they should do: “My friend said let’s go racing, and I said, ‘no you can’t because you have asthma,’
and then he started running and he had to stop and use his inhaler.” This is further complicated by the
sense of isolation and loneliness that children with asthma may feel if they are unable to play with
their friends and classmates
Advocacy
A final theme that emerged that was integrated into the resulting curriculum was the idea of advocacy
in the home, school and community. Students felt very passionate about people not smoking around
them . Parents too reported that smoking was a major trigger of asthma symptoms and that this was
something that was difficult to control. In addition to this issue of smoking in apartment buildings,
some parents also spoke about the conditions of their apartments and the unwillingness of owners to
address things such as smoking or making improvements to the buildings. Parents also commonly
spoke about their surrounding community and how the ports, refineries, local airport and large
freeways all contribute to the environmental issues in their neighborhoods. One parent brought in a
picture of a refinery that is located near the childcare agency in which she works: “I have a picture of
the refineries. I work close to it in the childcare. There are kids there who already come with asthma,
but they have to withdraw because the smoke from the refineries aggravates their asthma.”