THE INFLUENCE OF HEALTH-EDUCATION ON FAMILY MANAGEMENT OF CHILDHOOD ASTHMA

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in asthma managem ent among families with a child who has moderate to severe asthma. Hal f of the 50 families chosen for study had participated in an intensive in-patient asthma treatment program and half had participated in an o ut-patient day camp. Two broad categories of outcome were examined-ill ness and self-management skills. Families who participated in the in-p atient program exhibited a pattern of illness behaviours which indicat ed asthma symptoms were better managed in comparison to those families that participated in the out-patient program. It was also observed th at children who participated in the in-patient program had a tendency to feel more positive about having asthma with the more self-managemen t behaviours they practised. On the other hand, children from the out- patient program reported a more negative attitude about having asthma with the more self-management behaviours they practised.