Teen Asthma Project (TAP)

Aims of this study are: To determine the feasibility of implementing the intervention using a peer-assisted asthma day camp for adolescents with asthma. To determine patterns of change in knowledge, attitudes toward asthma, self-efficacy, perception of barriers, and self-management behaviors, asthma control and quality of life over time among peer leaders. To test the following hypothesis: Adolescents participating in a peer-assisted asthma camp program will report improved knowledge, attitudes toward asthma, self-efficacy, and self-management behaviors, decreased perception of barriers, and increased asthma control and quality of life at 3-, 6- and 9-months post-intervention compared with the adult-led camp group. To examine the moderating effect of personal factors (e.g., age, sex, socioeconomic status, race, illness status, family support) on intervention outcomes such as self-management behaviors, asthma control and quality of life in adolescents with asthma. To examine the effect of the peer-assisted camp program on self-reported health care utilization including emergency department visits, days of hospitalization, outpatient visits by comparing between baseline and 9-months post-camp data and between the peer-led camp and the adult-camp programs.

Adolescents, Peer leader program, asthma camp, asthma control, quality of life, self-efficacy, knowledge, attitudes, barrier perceptions

Intervention group: An asthma self-management program (Power Breathing™) was implemented by trained peer leaders at an asthma day camp. The program consisted of 3 sessions (appx. 45-60 min/session): basic asthma education (pathophysiology, triggers); psychosocial issues of asthma; and asthma self-management (peak flow monitoring and medication). The program was delivered by trained peer leaders paired for each small group of 6-8 teens. Group activities involved discussion, strategic thinking, knowledge-testing games and role plays.

Control group: The group attended an adult-led day camp where 2 NPs and a MD offered didactic asthma education based on the Power Breathing™ program.

Twenty-three items cover problems identified as being most important and troublesome in children's everyday lives due to asthma. This scale is effective in evaluating and discriminating because of its high sensitivity to changes in asthma status within and between individuals with varying severity of asthma. Respondents are asked to recall impairments experienced during the previous week. The scale consists of three subdomains including symptoms (10 items), emotional function (8 items) and activity limitation (5 items). Each item was measured on a 7-point scale; 1 indicates maximum impairment, and 7 indicates no impairment. Higher total scores indicate better levels of functioning. Total scores were computed by summing responses from all items (range:24-161)

This measure assesses the frequencies of the limitation of daily activity, asthma symptoms (daytime and nighttime) and use of rescue medication in the past 4 weeks on a 5-point scale (0-4). Total summed scores were computed (range: 4-16). Higher total scores indicate better controlled asthma.

This 14-item scale was developed to measure the child's confidence in attack prevention (e.g., learn asthma self-management skills, correct use of medication) and attack management (e.g., control symptoms, decide which medication to use). Total summed scores were computed (range: 21-70). Higher total scores indicate greater degree of self-efficacy.

This 29-item scale was developed to assess perception of barriers and to predict risk for poor self-management in adolescents with chronic illness. This scale categorizes barriers based on internal processes (e.g., cognitive skills, denial, pessimistic thinking) and contextual forces (e.g., illness-related factors, peer/family influences). Total summed scores were computed (range: 28-91). Higher scores indicate the high levels of perceived barriers to self-management.

This 13-item scale was designed to assess children's attitude toward their health condition. The scale includes questions such as "how good or bad do you feel it is that you have ___?" and, "how often do you feel that your ___ is your fault?" Respondents answer each question on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-5). Total summed scores (range: 25-65) was constructed to reflect respondents' overall attitudes. Higher scores indicated positive attitudes.

This 30-item instrument was developed to measure children's knowledge on triggers and symptom identifications, and asthma management procedures (i.e., what to do and how to do it) in a true/false format. Total scores (range: 14-30) were computed by summing the number of items correctly answered. The higher scores indicate greater knowledge levels.

Maximal amount of air one can forcefully exhale in one second. It is then converted to a percentage of normal. Range: 55-124 for the current sample.

Participants report the following information for the prior 3-month period; their emergency department visits for asthma; hospitalization for asthma; urgent office visit for worsening asthma; routine office visit; specialist visit. A cumulative number of events were computed by adding # of visits and # of days (for hospitalization) occurred in the past 3 months .

Inclusion Criteria: age between 13-18 years mild, moderate or severe persistent asthma specified by the NHLBI Asthma guidelines asthma diagnosis > 1 year no other major chronic/emotional health concerns ability to understand spoken and written English. Participants were recruited from the communities through flyers, newspaper ads, and referrals from clinics and schools. Eligibility criteria for peer leaders included: age between 16-20 years nomination from school teachers/nurses or health care providers average grade point B or above in the past school year fulfillment of eligibility criteria (2)-(5) prescribed for adolescent participants. Exclusion Criteria: learning disabilities based on reports from parents, teachers or clinicians

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