Phase
1: Defining the Intervention
From January-April of 2011, 18 key informant interviews
were conducted. Three major themes resulted from the interviews: (1) a need
for more discussion and education on asthma and health; (2) a need for children
to be more active; and (3) the belief that schools should provide more
education. Recognition of asthma issues by obesity experts, and vice versa, was
not common. During that same period, we held two Spanish language and two
English language focus groups with parents of children ages 5-12 with asthma and
BMIs greater than 85%. Most parents knew all the asthma triggers and knew that
obesity was related to unhealthy food. There was considerable awareness of
connections between asthma and obesity but there were greater concerns about
asthma than obesity because it was the more proximal issue. We also conducted
two groups with children 9-12 and one group with younger children ages 5-8.
Phase 2: Intervention
Testing
-
Community Health Worker
Training
- In October of 2011, thirteen
adults from the target community completed a 40-hour CHW training on pediatric
asthma and obesity designed specifically for this project. The top 2 trainees
were then hired for the study.
-
Pilot
1 - Home Intervention
From 2011-2012, a home intervention
will be testing using a proof of concept design. Families of children in the
Humboldt Park neighborhood whose child has uncontrolled asthma and is overweight
or obese will be offered community health worker home visits once a month for
one year.
- Pilot 2 – School Intervention
From 2012-2013, an elementary school
in Humboldt Park will be offered a school-wide intervention for asthma,
nutrition, and exercise. This intervention will attempt to involve school
administration, teachers, parents, and children.
- Pilot 3 – Combined School and Home Intervention
From 2012-2013,
another elementary school in Humboldt Park will be offered the same school-wide
intervention as in Pilot 2. Additionally, children in the school with both
uncontrolled asthma and overweight/obesity will be offered the home
intervention.
