School-based Asthma Care for Teens (SB-ACT) (SB-ACT)
Asthma

About this trial
This is an interventional health services research trial for Asthma
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Physician-diagnosed asthma
- Persistent asthma or poor asthma control (based on NHLBI guidelines).
- Attending secondary school in Rochester City School District
Exclusion Criteria:
- Inability to speak and understand English
- No access to a phone for follow-up surveys
- Diagnosed developmental or intellectual disability
- Other significant medical conditions, including congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, or other chronic lung disease, that could interfere with the assessment of asthma-related measures.
- Teens in foster care or other situations in which consent cannot be obtained from a guardian.
Sites / Locations
- University of Rochester
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
School-Based Asthma Care for Teens (SB-ACT)
Directly Observed Therapy
Asthma Education
SB-ACT consists of 2 components: Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) For the first 6-8 weeks, the teen will visit the school nurse to receive a daily dose of preventive asthma medication as directly observed therapy (DOT). The purpose of DOT is to establish a relationship with the nurse, learn proper medication technique, and experience potential benefits of consistent preventive therapy. The second component, Motivational Interviewing (MI) counseling , will start 4-6 weeks after the start of DOT. A counselor will conduct 3 in-person MI sessions with the teen at school to enhance the teen's motivation to adhere to their asthma treatment plan. The 3 sessions consist of an initial 40 minute counseling session (4-6 weeks after start of DOT), and two 30 minute follow-up sessions 2 and 6 weeks later. This component consists of an evidence-based self-management program to help the teen begin to transition to independence with preventive medication use.
For the first 6-8 weeks after enrollment, the teen will visit the school nurse once a day to receive a daily dose of preventive asthma medication as directly observed therapy (DOT).
Asthma educators will provide an in-school asthma education program that will match the time and attention of the MI counseling portion of the primary intervention. Each teen will receive three 1-on-1 educational sessions at school, and sessions will cover 3 main topics: 1) lung physiology and asthma basics, 2) triggers, symptoms, and warning signs, and 3) medications and self-advocacy.