Feasibility study of a combined lifestyle behaviors and asthma self-management intervention for school-aged children.
Sharon D Horner, Gayle M Timmerman, Bennie C McWilliams
PMID 29972278WHAT IT FOUND
A 12-week home intervention combining asthma management and lifestyle changes significantly improved children's inhaler skills, quality of life, and BMI z-scores.
Retention was 77%, with all overweight children completing the study, though normal-weight families dropped out due to scheduling.
Key findings
01Children significantly improved their metered dose inhaler (MDI) skill and quality of life, and their BMI z-scores decreased significantly.
02The intervention was feasible, with 77% overall retention, but all overweight children completed the study while three normal-weight families withdrew.
03There were no significant improvements in children's asthma self-management behaviors or physical activity self-efficacy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=13 enrolled, n=10 completed) limits the generalizability of the findings. No control group for the primary feasibility aim; changes from pre-test to post-test cannot be definitively attributed to the intervention without a concurrent control. High attrition among normal-weight families (100% of overweight families retained) suggests the intervention may be less relevant or feasible for children without weight concerns. The matched comparison group was drawn from a separate study, introducing potential selection bias and differences in baseline characteristics (e.g., MDI skill).
Declared interests
The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the significant improvements in BMI and quality of life as proof of efficacy. This was a small feasibility study without a concurrent control group, so these changes could reflect natural variation, regression to the mean, or the Hawthorne effect rather than the intervention itself.