Coping Skills Program for Childhood Asthma

Overseen by Erin M Rodriguez, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin

Disqualifiers: Disability interfering participation

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a program that teaches Latino children with asthma and their families how to manage asthma and cope with stress. The goal is to see if this combined approach improves asthma control. The study involves 280 families and measures outcomes like lung function, school absences, and emergency visits. The intervention, 'ACT-Asma Control y Tratamiento Para Niños,' was adapted from ACT for Kids, an asthma self-management program for English-speaking families.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Coping Skills Program for Childhood Asthma?

Research shows that stress management and coping skills can improve asthma control and quality of life in children. Studies found that children with better coping skills had lower stress levels and better asthma control, suggesting that these programs can help manage asthma effectively. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Coping Skills Program for Childhood Asthma safe for children?

The research suggests that interventions to improve coping strategies, including stress management, have been effective in reducing symptoms and psychological distress in asthma patients, indicating they are generally safe for use in humans. ^{2 5 6 7 8}

How is the Coping Skills Program for Childhood Asthma different from other treatments for asthma?

The Coping Skills Program for Childhood Asthma is unique because it combines stress management with asthma management, focusing on improving coping skills to help children better control their asthma. This approach addresses both the psychological and physical aspects of asthma, which can lead to better disease control and quality of life. ^{1 3 9 10 11}

Research Team

Erin M Rodriguez, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Texas at Austin

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for Latino children aged 8-14 with asthma, and their families. Participants must speak English or Spanish, have a confirmed asthma diagnosis, and be patients at a participating clinic. Children with disabilities that prevent participation beyond primary care accommodations cannot join.

Inclusion Criteria

My child has been diagnosed with asthma by their doctor.

My child and I speak English or Spanish.

This criterion does not seem to be related to a clinical trial exclusion criteria. Can you please provide more context or clarify what the criterion is referring to?

Exclusion Criteria

My child's disability prevents them from participating in the treatment without special adjustments.

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pre-intervention Assessment

Families complete assessments 1 week before the intervention, including surveys, interviews, and spirometry

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants receive either the combined coping skills + asthma management program or the standard asthma management program

6 weeks

Weekly sessions (in-person or virtual)

Post-intervention Assessment

Families complete assessments 1 week after the intervention, including surveys, interviews, and spirometry

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment at 6- and 12-month timepoints

12 months

2 visits (in-person)

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Combined coping skills + asthma management (Behavioral Intervention)
• Standard Asthma Management (AM) (Behavioral Intervention)

Trial Overview The study tests a coping skills program combined with standard asthma management against the standard treatment alone in Latino children living in low-income areas. It aims to see if adding coping strategies helps manage stress-related factors contributing to uncontrolled asthma.

Participant Groups

Group I: Combined coping skills + asthma management arm Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The combined coping skills + asthma management arm is a family-based coping skills + asthma management intervention that is bilingual and culturally relevant for Latino families. This program is manualized with video-guided and interactive content to improve coping with stress and asthma management behaviors for both children and their parents. Coping strategies taught include primary and secondary control coping. Asthma management content is interactive and culturally tailored.

Group II: Standard asthma management arm Active Control 1 Intervention

The standard asthma management (AM) arm is an asthma management intervention covering standard asthma self-management content (e.g., symptom recognition, self-monitoring). AM is manualized and is matched in length, time, and number of sessions to the experimental arm.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Texas at Austin

Lead Sponsor

Trials

387

Recruited

86,100+

Findings from Research

A study involving 78 children with asthma found that coping strategies, particularly 'emotional reaction' and 'avoidance', significantly predict health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

The extended stress-coping model is effective in understanding how asthma impacts children's quality of life, suggesting that these coping factors should be considered in developing psychosocial care interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Predictors of quality of life: a quantitative investigation of the stress-coping model in children with asthma. Peeters, Y., Boersma, SN., Koopman, HM.[2021]

A stress management intervention for children with asthma was found to be highly acceptable and feasible, especially in a school setting, with 18 participants across two cohorts.

Initial results indicated improvements in lung function, perceived stress, and mood after the intervention, suggesting potential benefits for managing asthma in children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preliminary evidence for the feasibility of a stress management intervention for 7- to 12-year-olds with asthma. Long, KA., Ewing, LJ., Cohen, S., et al.[2015]

In a study of 280 children aged 6 to 12 with asthma, lower stress levels were associated with better asthma control and more effective coping strategies, highlighting the importance of mental health in managing asthma.

The findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing stress and improving coping mechanisms could enhance asthma management, indicating a need for support not just for patients but also for families and schools.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adaptation to Asthma in Children: A Matter of Coping and Stress Control. Segura Moreno, CC., Diaz Heredia, LP.[2021]

In a pilot study involving 39 teens with asthma, those who received Coping Skills Training showed significant improvements in asthma self-efficacy and social support compared to a control group, indicating the intervention's effectiveness.

The treatment group also reported enhanced quality of life related to their asthma, suggesting that Coping Skills Training could be a valuable approach for improving outcomes in adolescents with asthma.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of coping skills training among teens with asthma. Srof, BJ., Velsor-Friedrich, B., Penckofer, S.[2022]

Patients with asthma often use emotion-focused coping strategies, like denial, which are linked to poor medication adherence and worse health outcomes, such as increased emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

Improving coping strategies through targeted interventions can reduce asthma symptoms and psychological distress, suggesting that addressing psychological factors is crucial for better asthma management.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coping as a mediator of psychosocial impediments to optimal management and control of asthma. Barton, C., Clarke, D., Sulaiman, N., et al.[2022]

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) has been validated for use in asthma patients, demonstrating acceptable psychometric properties across different ethnic groups and literacy levels in two studies involving a total of 559 participants.

The short version of the PSS is an effective and quick tool for measuring subjective stress in diverse populations with asthma, making it useful for both clinical and research settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing the Perceived Stress Scale for African American adults with asthma and low literacy. Sharp, LK., Kimmel, LG., Kee, R., et al.[2022]

Patient adherence, asthma self-management skills, and exposure to stress are crucial factors that can significantly influence asthma outcomes, highlighting the need for their measurement in clinical research.

Standardized measures for these mediators can improve the understanding of how they affect treatment interventions, ultimately leading to better asthma management strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mediators of asthma outcomes. Rand, CS., Wright, RJ., Cabana, MD., et al.[2021]

A cognitive-educational intervention program for asthmatic patients significantly reduced emotional distress, such as anxiety and anger, and decreased their preoccupation with asthma after the program was implemented.

Patients who participated in the program also reported using less maintenance medication, specifically corticosteroids, indicating a potential improvement in their overall management of asthma.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Changing health behaviour outcomes in asthmatic patients: a pilot intervention study. Maes, S., Schlösser, M.[2019]

In a study of 47 children aged 8-15 with asthma, it was found that those who used more approach coping strategies had better psychological functioning and quality of life compared to those who relied on avoidant coping strategies.

The study also revealed that a child's quality of life is positively related to their mother's quality of life, suggesting that addressing coping strategies in both children and their mothers could enhance overall well-being in families affected by asthma.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coping styles, psychological functioning and quality of life in children with asthma. Marsac, ML., Funk, JB., Nelson, L.[2015]

The Family Asthma Program significantly improved asthma knowledge and management skills for parents of children with asthma, but did not show similar benefits for the children aged 4 to 12.

There were no notable differences in family stress and coping characteristics between families participating in the program and those in other groups, indicating a need for program enhancements to better support children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effectiveness of a family asthma program for children and parents. Carson, DK., Council, JR., Schauer, RW.[2007]

Asthma programs aimed at families of children with asthma have successfully increased knowledge about the disease and its treatment in both parents and children, as shown by short-term evaluations.

These programs are designed to reduce morbidity and anxiety, improve coping skills, and promote family harmony, with long-term evaluations currently underway showing promising results.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Community and family programs for children with asthma. Hindi-Alexander, M., Cropp, GJ.[2007]

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Predictors of quality of life: a quantitative investigation of the stress-coping model in children with asthma. [2021]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preliminary evidence for the feasibility of a stress management intervention for 7- to 12-year-olds with asthma. [2015]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adaptation to Asthma in Children: A Matter of Coping and Stress Control. [2021]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of coping skills training among teens with asthma. [2022]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coping as a mediator of psychosocial impediments to optimal management and control of asthma. [2022]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing the Perceived Stress Scale for African American adults with asthma and low literacy. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mediators of asthma outcomes. [2021]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Changing health behaviour outcomes in asthmatic patients: a pilot intervention study. [2019]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coping styles, psychological functioning and quality of life in children with asthma. [2015]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effectiveness of a family asthma program for children and parents. [2007]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Community and family programs for children with asthma. [2007]