Efficacy of the I Can Control Asthma and Nutrition Now (ICAN) Pilot Program on Health Outcomes in High School Students With Asthma

Abstract

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic illness in childhood affecting 7 million youth. Many youth with asthma face another risk factor in obesity. Obesity, in turn, increases disorders such as asthma. Studies have recommended that asthma programs also address weight management in youth. Taking this into consideration, the I Can Control Asthma and Nutrition Now (ICAN) program is an innovative school-based program composed of (1) nutrition and weight management education, (2) asthma education, and (3) monthly reenforcement visits. This pilot study tested the initial effectiveness of the ICAN pilot program on a variety of asthma and nutrition outcomes in 25 urban minority students with asthma. Over the course of the pilot program, significant increases in asthma knowledge, asthma self-efficacy, asthma quality of life, asthma self-care, nutrition knowledge, nutrition self-efficacy, and asthma control were observed. The ICAN program has demonstrated promising preliminary results in improving nutrition and asthma health outcomes with urban minority high school students.

The Role of School Health Services in Addressing the Needs of Students With Chronic Health Conditions

“…Asthma education showed an improvement in the percentage of students who were in control of their asthma from baseline to second posttest at 14 weeks: from 56% to 76%, using the Asthma Control Test (Kouba et al, 2013). In a different study, a program teaching self-management of asthma led to improved inhaler skills for treatment students and significantly decreased hospital stays over time, when individual growth trajectories were considered (Horner & Brown, 2014).…”

Weight Management Interventions in Adult and Pediatric Asthma Populations: A Systematic Review

“…A number of non-RCT studies in adults have shown that substantial weight reductions through bariatric surgery [27-33] or very low calorie diets [34,35] are associated with significantly improved asthma outcomes, including overall control, symptoms, lung function, medication use, quality of life, and health care utilization. Fewer non-RCT studies have been conducted in children or adolescents with asthma [36,37]. One single-arm study showed that an interdisciplinary intervention consisting of medical, nutritional, exercise, and psychological therapy led to significant weight loss as well as improved lung function, systemic inflammation, and asthma severity in obese adolescents with asthma [36].…”

“…One single-arm study showed that an interdisciplinary intervention consisting of medical, nutritional, exercise, and psychological therapy led to significant weight loss as well as improved lung function, systemic inflammation, and asthma severity in obese adolescents with asthma [36]. Another study reported that a school-based program consisting of nutrition, weight management, and asthma education significantly improved participants’ self-efficacy (i.e., perceived ability to manage asthma), quality of life, and self-care related to asthma; however, no objective asthma outcomes were measured [37]. …”

Factors Associated with Asthma Self-Management in African American Adolescents

“…A panel of physicians and pediatric nurses established content validity for the original instrument. Out of the limited number of asthma self-management instruments available at the time of this study, this instrument was selected because it had been previously used among children and adolescents, including African Americans, with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.82 to 0.92 (Kouba et al, 2013; Velsor-Friedrich et al, 2012; Velsor-Friedrich, Piggott, & Louloudes, 2004; Velsor-Friedrich, Piggott, & Srof, 2005). Cronbach’s alpha in this study was 0.87.…”