Asthma education taught by physical education teachers at grade schools: A randomised cluster trial

Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2017 Jul-Aug;45(4):375-386. doi: 10.1016/j.aller.2016.10.022. Epub 2017 Mar 18.

Abstract

Objective: Assess whether the Asthma, Sport and Health (ASAH) programme taught by teachers improves asthmatics' quality of life, asthma knowledge, and reduces school absenteeism.

Design: Randomised cluster trial parallel group.

Participants: 2293 students (203 asthmatic) in the Intervention School group (IS) and 2214 in the Comparison School (CS) (224 asthmatic) belonging to primary school.

Intervention: Implementation of the educational programme "Asthma, Sport and Health" at grade schools, taught by physical education teachers.

Main outcome: Quality of life according to the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ).

Secondary outcomes: Asthma knowledge, asthma control, school absenteeism.

Results: After implementing the programme in the IS group, global quality of life improved significantly (p<0.001) as did their domains, symptoms (p<0.001), emotional function (p<0.001) and activity limitations (p<0.01), while in the CS group improvement was seen in global life quality (p<0.01) without any significant changes in the domains for emotional function and activity limitations. Asthma knowledge only increased in IS, among asthmatic students from 16.51 (CI 95% 16.04-16.98) to 18.16 (CI 95% 17.69-18.62) (p<0.001) and students without asthma from 15.49 (CI95% 15.36-15.63) to 17.50 (CI95% 17.36-17.64) (p<0.001). The multiple regression analysis showed that quality of life and its domains depend on asthma knowledge and above all, having well-controlled asthma. We found no decrease in school absenteeism.

Conclusions: The ASAH programme improved certain quality of life aspects regarding asthma (emotional function and limitation of activities) and asthma knowledge, but it failed to reduce school absenteeism NCT01607749.

Keywords: Asthma education; Asthma knowledge; Clinical trial; Quality of life; School.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Absenteeism
  • Asthma / epidemiology*
  • Child
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Health Education*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Physical Education and Training
  • Program Evaluation
  • Quality of Life
  • School Teachers*
  • Schools
  • Spain / epidemiology

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01607749