Promoting Asthma Wellness in Rural Communities

Promoting Asthma Wellness in Rural Communities

This is a research study that compares the effectiveness of a web-based program (known as Puff City) and another web-based program (of internet sites such as the American Lung Association, American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology, etc) that targets five key asthma management issues among rural youth:

1. Improving adherence to asthma controller medication use;
2. Improving compliance of carrying a rescue inhaler at all times for use at the first sign of asthma symptoms;
3. Improving inhaler technique;
4. Smoking reduction or cessation in those who are smokers; and
5. Avoidance of second-hand smoke exposure.

A randomized control trial across three southeastern rural high schools comparing a web-based tailored intervention (known as Puff City) to web-based traditional control education sites.

Inclusion Criteria:

• AA ethnicity
• in 9th - 11th grade of selected rural schools
• have an asthma diagnosis and/or asthma-like symptoms by screening eligible on the Lung Health Survey
• have access to a telephone or mobile phone
• being the parent of a student meeting the above criteria with whom the student resides the majority of the time.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not meeting the above criteria.