Evaluating the Impact of a Teaching Program on the Knowledge, Quality of Life, and Symptoms Among Asthmatic Children

Abstract

Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition that affects millions of children worldwide, often disrupting their daily activities, academic performance, and overall well-being. Despite its impact, many children, along with their families and caregivers, have limited knowledge about asthma, its triggers, and effective management strategies. Implementing a structured teaching program is crucial to improving asthma awareness, fostering self-management through action plans, minimizing emergency incidents, and empowering children with the confidence and independence needed to manage their condition effectively. The specific objectives were to assess the baseline levels of knowledge, quality of life, and asthma symptoms, and to determine the effect of the teaching program in improving these outcomes. This randomized controlled trial was conducted among 94 participants from an asthma clinic, with 47 subjects in the experimental group and 47 in the control group, using an allocation concealment technique. The study assessed participants' knowledge, quality of life, and asthma symptoms using the Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire, the Mini Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniPAQLQ), and the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ). After administering a pretest to both groups, the experimental group received structured education on various aspects of asthma management. Post-intervention assessments were conducted four times at four-week intervals using the same questionnaires as the pretest. The collected data were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study indicate that the teaching program effectively improved participants' knowledge, quality of life, and asthma symptoms. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using repeated measures ANOVA. Posttest results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in knowledge, quality of life, and asthma symptoms (P < 0.001). The study concludes that an educational program on various aspects of asthma can help children with asthma better understand their condition, reduce anxiety, enhance coping mechanisms, and encourage responsibility in managing their disease. Therefore, alongside routine medical treatment, asthma education plays a crucial role in improving children's knowledge, quality of life, and symptom management.

Keywords: asthma; asthma symptom; asthmatic children; knowledge; quality of life; teaching program.