School Program About Managing Asthma Attacks Rubs Off on Moms

Never underestimate the power of children to teach their parents. That’s the lesson of a school-based program that taught third-through fifth-graders to manage their own asthma attacks. Not only did the six hourlong sessions and homework help the kids better recognize and respond to signs of breathing distress, but the training also rubbed off on their moms.

Mothers of kids in “Open Airways for Schools” became more active in managing their children’s conditions than moms of kids who didn’t get the training. The moms also were more active than they’d been before their kids went through the program.

Although parents were never directly involved, some of the homework was designed to spur family discussions about controlling asthma. The study of 239 families, led by Columbia University public health researcher David Evans, appears in the August issue of Health Education & Behavior. Because successful coping with a chronic illness requires changes in daily routines, patients need to enlist the help and support of those around them, Evans said.