Chicago Asthma School-Directed Child-Centered Assessment and Dissemination of Evidence
University of Chicago
Summary
Research has shown that adherence to evidence-based asthma guidelines leads to improved outcomes, yet critical gaps remain in the implementation of these guidelines, particularly among minority and low-income youth. Schools represent a crucial point of intervention, as demonstrated by school-based asthma programs that have addressed individual components of the guidelines with promising results. This project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a pragmatic, multi-component asthma program that builds upon existing targeted interventions to fully implement the asthma guidelines and integrate them in school practices to foster sustainability. The investigator seeks to understand whether this type of program will improve asthma outcomes at the child and school level.
Description
Significant health disparities persist in childhood asthma prevalence and morbidity despite existing evidence-based asthma guidelines that have been shown to improve outcomes. Schools are an integral partner in asthma management. Prior literature has outlined various targeted school-based interventions with some positive outcomes; however, these programs focus on individual components of the guidelines and take place transiently without integration into school processes for sustainability. To more comprehensively impact asthma care, schools have enacted policies to support guideline-based prac…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 4+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Participants will be included in the study if: 1. The participant either works at, attends, or is the legal guardian of a child who attends one of the two elementary schools included in the study from the University of Chicago Charter Schools - North Kenwood Oakland and Donoghue. 2. The child participant has a diagnosis of asthma OR the parent participant is legal guardian of a child with asthma. 3. The adult stakeholder is 18 years or older. Participants will be excluded from the study if: 1. The participant declines or is unable to provide consent/assent 2. The participant does not speak…
Interventions
- BehavioralMulticomponent program
The intervention is a multi-component program that includes in-depth training for current school teachers/staff who are critical in asthma care, restructured processes to identify students with asthma, technological adaptations to support integrated systems for asthma care and absenteeism, strategies to enhance communication about asthma within school and between school and home, protocols for routine care (e.g., participation in gym/recess) and emergencies, and education for all students about asthma.
Location
- University of Chicago Charter SchoolsChicago, Illinois