Learning About Asthma with the 3Rs

An asthma education program may helpchildren with the lung condition control theirsymptoms better, according to the results ofa study of 26 Canadian elementary schools.Almost half of the schools included in thestudy were randomly assigned to offer a 6-week asthma education program to childrenwith asthma; the remaining schools servedas a comparison group.

The education group received lessons onavoiding triggers of their asthma symptoms,using medication inhalers, and managingepisodes of breathlessness and wheezing.After 2 months, this group reported moreconfidence in their ability to manage theirasthma, compared with the control group.(The findings were reported in Chest, October2005.)