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A randomized pilot trial of a school‐based psychoeducational intervention for children with asthma
Author(s) -
Marsland Anna L.,
Gentile Deborah,
HinzeCrout Amanda,
Stauffenberg Camilla,
Rosen Rhonda K.,
Tavares Amy,
VotrubaDrzal Elizabeth,
Cohen Sheldon,
McQuaid Elizabeth L.,
Ewing Linda J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1111/cea.13337
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , psychological intervention , randomized controlled trial , disadvantaged , intervention (counseling) , physical therapy , coping (psychology) , pediatrics , clinical psychology , psychiatry , political science , law
Summary Background Asthma is a common childhood illness with high morbidity and mortality among minority and socio‐economically disadvantaged children. Disparities are not fully accounted for by differences in asthma prevalence, highlighting a need for interventions targeting factors associated with poorer asthma control. One such factor is psychological stress. Objective Here, we examine the feasibility and acceptability of “I Can Cope ( ICC ),” a school‐based stress management and coping intervention for children with asthma. Methods A parallel randomized pilot trial was conducted. One hundred and four low‐income children (mean age 10 years; 54% male; 70% African American) with persistent asthma were recruited from 12 urban schools and randomized to the following: (a) ICC or one of two control conditions: (b) “Open Airways for Schools ( OAS )”—an asthma education intervention or (c) no treatment. Results Seventy one percentage of eligible children participated in the study, with a dropout rate of 12%. ICC was rated as highly acceptable by participating children and parents. Preliminary efficacy data suggest that when compared with no treatment, ICC resulted in decreased symptoms of depression, perceived stress and child‐reported symptoms of asthma, and improvements in sleep quality and child‐reported asthma control. There were no intervention‐related changes in objective measures of asthma morbidity. The magnitude of intervention effects on psychological function did not differ between the ICC and OAS groups. Conclusions Results support the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing school‐based interventions to access hard to reach children with asthma. Preliminary findings offer support for future, large‐scale efficacy studies of school‐based interventions designed to target multiple factors that contribute to asthma disparities.