CHCRCHCR Home


what we doprojects

Puff City I
aims
  1. Develop a computer-based, tailored asthma management program for urban teenagers based on an existing model of a software system that corresponds to the core concepts of the transtheoretical model of change and the Health Belief model.
  2. Implement an asthma intervention in urban high schools that will consist of access to the tailored software and the guidance of an asthma counselor for students with asthma.
  3. Evaluate the asthma intervention program by conducting a randomized trial to assess selected effectiveness outcomes and program costs.


participants
Three hundred fourteen urban high school students who have asthma-like symptoms. Students in grades 9-11will be recruited from six Detroit area high schools.

intervention
Students who participate (with parents' consent) complete all components of the program during school time on school computers. Students complete a baseline survey and are randomized to receive an individually tailored web-based tailored program (treatment) or existing generic asthma education web sites (control). Randomization occurs within each school and is based on gender, grade, and asthma diagnosis to assure a comparable distribution of these factors. Students have 180 days to complete four 20-30 minute educational sessions, with a minimum of 7 days between sessions to allow for behavior change. School staff help students with any technical issues that arise on the computers. An asthma counselor based at Henry Ford Health System is available by phone to all students enrolled in Puff City.

The content of the Puff City computer program is based on recommendations for patient education made by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, and focuses on three core behaviors: controller medication adherence, rescue inhaler availability, and smoking cessation/reduction. The entire program is voiced over, to accommodate low literacy.

Evaluations were completed at 6, 9 and 12 months from baseline.