Asthma management in New York City schools: A classroom teacher perspective

Abstract

Objective Classroom teachers play an important role in facilitating asthma management in school but little is known about their perspectives around asthma management. We examined the perspectives of classroom teachers around barriers to school asthma management. Methods We conducted key informant interviews with 21 inner-city classroom teachers from 3rd to 5th grades in 10 Bronx, New York elementary schools. Sampling continued until thematic saturation was reached. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and independently coded for common themes. We used thematic and content review to analyze interview data. Results Seven themes representing teachers’ perspectives on in-school asthma management emerged: (1) the problematic process of identifying students with asthma; (2) poor familiarity with the city health department’s asthma initiative and poor general knowledge of school policies on asthma management (3) lack of competency in managing an acute asthma attack in the classroom and poor recognition of symptoms of an asthma attack; (4) lack of confidence in dealing with a hypothetical asthma attack in the classroom; (5) lack of quick access to asthma medication in school; (6) limited communication between school staff; and (7) enthusiasm about learning more about asthma management. Conclusions Our results revealed several barriers contributing to suboptimal in-school asthma management: ineffective ways of identifying students with asthma, lack of teacher knowledge of guidelines on asthma management, lack of comfort in managing students’ asthma, inadequate access to asthma medication in school, and limited communication between school staff. These issues should be considered in the design of interventions to improve in-school asthma management.

The Principal and Nurse Perspective on Gaps in Asthma Care and Barriers to Physical Activity in New York City Schools: A Qualitative Study

“…Without formal asthma training for the school staff, it is surprising that the majority of principals believed that the teachers feel confident handling an asthma attack in the classroom. This claim was in contrast to the findings of our prior study where we observed that the majority of teachers felt unprepared in case of an emergency (Cain & Reznik, 2016). This discrepancy could stem from the principal’s interest in presenting the preparedness of the school staff in the best light and their lack of direct involvement in asthma care of the schoolchildren.…”

“…Rather, the reported “procedures” are loosely based on past experiences. This finding is consistent with our prior study, in which only one third of the interviewed teachers reported having a written policy in their school (Cain & Reznik, 2016). In this study, we found that often the schools mistakenly used administrative mechanisms, such as the MAFs, as a de facto “policy.” Even though the law mandates that children with chronic illnesses need to be accommodated by public schools under Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act, the NYC Board of Education still lacks formal policies on asthma management.…”

Improving Care of Inner-City Children with Poorly Controlled Asthma: What Mothers Want You to Know

“…the potential for a rapid decline in a child with asthma symptoms). Asthma education interventions have shown some promise in advancing teacher knowledge (Kawatha & Tawalbeh, 2015) yet several barriers exist including ineffective communication across school staff and inadequate access to asthma medications (Cain & Resnick, 2016; Hanley Nadeau & Toronto, 2016). Additionally, participating parents expressed frustration with school-based indoor exposures needing remediation; however, schools in low-income communities may not have resources to adequately remove mold and other triggers.…”

Awareness of asthma and its management in primary school teachers in Eastern Province

“…The level of awareness should be raised by training programs to meet the needs of children and to decrease school absenteeism. [1415161718]…”