Published online April 3, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 4 April 2006, pp. 1046-1054 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-0666)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (5)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McPherson, A. C.
Right arrow Articles by Smyth, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by McPherson, A. C.
Right arrow Articles by Smyth, A.
Related Collections
Right arrow Asthma
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Interactive Educational Computer Package for Children With Asthma

Amy C. McPherson, PhDa, Cristine Glazebrook, PhD, CPsycholb, Debra Forster, RGN, RSCNc, Claire James, MB, MRCGP, DRCOG, DFFPd and Alan Smyth, MA, MB, BS, MRCP, MD, FRCPCHc,e

a School of Nursing
b Division of Psychiatry
e Division of Child Health,University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
c Department of Pediatrics, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom
d Apple Tree Medical Practice, Nottingham, United Kingdom

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact and acceptability of an educational multimedia program designed to promote self-management skills in children with asthma.

METHODS. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial with measures at baseline and 1- and 6-month follow-up. The trial was conducted in pediatric outpatient respiratory clinics in 3 United Kingdom hospitals. Participants included 101 children aged 7 to 14 years under the care of hospital-based asthma services. The children were randomly assigned to receive an asthma information booklet alone or the booklet plus The Asthma Files, an interactive CD-ROM for children with asthma. Asthma knowledge was the primary outcome measure. Other measures included asthma locus of control, lung function, use of oral steroids, and school absence.

RESULTS. At the 1-month follow-up (n = 99), children in the computer group had improved knowledge compared with the control group and a more internal locus of control. There were no differences in objective lung-function measures, hospitalizations, or oral steroid use. The study participants were positive in their evaluation of the intervention. At the 6-month follow-up (n = 90), significantly fewer children in the intervention group had required oral steroids and had had time off school for asthma in the previous 6 months. The difference did not reach statistical significance in the intention-to-treat analysis for both steroid use and school absence.

CONCLUSION. The Asthma Files was found to be an effective and popular health education tool for promoting asthma self-management skills within pediatric care.

Key Words: asthma • self-management • multimedia

Abbreviations: GP—general practitioner • AKA—Asthma Knowledge Assessment • CALOC—Children's Asthma Locus of Control • CI—confidence interval • FEV1—forced expiratory volume in the first second • PEF—peak expiratory flow • BPVS—British Picture Vocabulary Scale • ANOVA—analysis of variance • df—degrees of freedom • OR—odds ratio

Accepted Sep 28, 2005.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ConvergenceHome page
M. U. Bers
New Media for New Organs: A Virtual Community for Pediatric Post-Transplant Patients
Convergence, November 1, 2009; 15(4): 462 - 469.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 J Pediatr PsycholHome page
C. W. Karlson and M. A. Rapoff
Attrition in Randomized Controlled Trials for Pediatric Chronic Conditions
J. Pediatr. Psychol., August 1, 2009; 34(7): 782 - 793.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
E. D. Cox, M. A. Smith, and R. L. Brown
Evaluating Deliberation in Pediatric Primary Care
Pediatrics, July 1, 2007; 120(1): e68 - e77.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
C. Glazebrook, A. C. McPherson, I. A. Macdonald, J. A. Swift, C. Ramsay, R. Newbould, and A. Smyth
Asthma as a Barrier to Children's Physical Activity: Implications for Body Mass Index and Mental Health
Pediatrics, December 1, 2006; 118(6): 2443 - 2449.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]