A novel asthma camp intervention for childhood asthma among urban blacks. The Pediatric Lung Committee of the American Lung Association of the District of Columbia (ALADC) Washington, DC.

Following a needs assessment, the American Lung Association of the District of Columbia (ALADC) began a 3-year pilot program (1986 to 1989) to improve the health status of 5- to 10-year-old urban black asthmatic children. The authors hypothesized that participation in a 1-day asthma camp curriculum, using a collaborative multidisciplinary team approach between university and community-based staff, would provide an effective educational intervention to teach children and their families daily management strategies for asthma. The 84 participants (mean age: 9.6 years) were predominantly black (93%), male (73%), and from single-parent or single-guardian homes (52.7%). Follow-up interviews suggested that a high percentage of the children were using new techniques such as aerosol/inhalers (78%) and breathing/warm-up exercises (55%). Overall, participation in this novel program was associated with a clinically significant, 36% to 69% reduction in school absences, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations.