INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA: A FAMILY AND COMMUNITY APPROACH

In the U.S., approximately 4.7 million children (6.5%) are affected by asthma, while obesity impacts approximately 14.7 million children (19.7%). Children with asthma, particularly underserved minority children living in urban communities, face an increased risk of obesity and subsequently worse health outcomes than their non-obese asthmatic peers. One reason is that these children have lower physical activity levels than their non-asthmatic peers. This evidence-based Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based, family-centered education program for parents of school-aged children with asthma. The project aimed to increase parental understanding of the importance of physical activity for children with asthma, thereby reducing obesity risk. Using a pre-test/post-test design, this project explored: a) demographic characteristics, b) asthma and physical activity characteristics, c) knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs, and d) community needs and barriers among the participants. Nine Hispanic/Latino parents of children with asthma (ages 6-10) participated in this project. Seventy-five percent of the parents reported that their children experience asthma trouble during exercise, while 62.5% of parents reported that their children utilized albuterol after exercise. No statistically significant differences across survey components were observed between pre-and post-intervention groups. Despite this, there was a notable positive shift in perceptions regarding the relationship between physical activity and asthma. Three out of eight participants (37.5%) transitioned from being undecided to agreeing or strongly agreeing that physical activity may improve a child's asthma. Initially, 56% of the parents expressed fear that their child would become ill due to physical activity, exercise, or sports. However, post-intervention, significant positive shifts in perceptions were observed in four (50%) of the participants. Five out of nine participants (56%) of the participants initially agreed that “There is not enough time in the day for physical activity.” Post-intervention three out of eight participants (37.5%) positively shifted from “agree” pre-intervention to “disagree.” This DNP project offers insights into the challenges faced by a small sample Hispanic/Latino parent of children with asthma. The findings in this project suggests that educating parents about the significance of physical activity for their children could potentially shift their perceptions, potentially leading to positive changes in behavior and attitudes toward physical activity in children with asthma. This educational intervention could potentially lead to increased physical activity, improved exercise induced asthma management, and overall reduced risk of obesity in these high-risk children.