Introduction:

Asthma is a growing problem throughout the lifespan. Methods to improve asthma health behaviors (AHB) early in life may have significant benefit throughout life. The Health Belief Model (HBM) and its' primary domains (Individual Perceptions, Modifying Factors, and Likelihood of Action) may be useful to better understand and promote optimal AHB.

Purpose:

The purposes of this study were to examine children's perceptions of asthma (1) as they relate to the HBM and (2) before and after an asthma education session.

Methods:

Twenty children (aged 6-12; seven with asthma) from an urban after-school program were administered a 13 item survey (examining the primary domains of the HBM) before and after a comprehensive American Lung Association based asthma education module. The results were analyzed with quantitative and qualitative methods.

Results:

Children most often had difficulty identifying the seriousness of asthma as a disease, how to make asthma symptoms better, and who could help asthmatics. The HBM domain of Modifying Factors was the most significantly improved after the educational module.

Conclusion:

Asthmatic children and children susceptible to develop asthma appear to benefit from a short asthma education module that has the potential to improve preventative AHB for children. It is possible that favorable AHB may continue into adolescence and adulthood, but this requires further investigation.