3 research outputs found
Impact of close-proximity air pollution on lung function in schoolchildren in the French West Indies
Impact of close-proximity air pollution on lung function in schoolchildren in the French West Indies
Evaluation of education program in an asthmatic cohort in a French Caribbean island
Objective: This 3-year study assessed the effectiveness of the therapeutic
education unit in the asthma school in Guadeloupe (France). Methods: The
therapeutic education unit is an outpatient structure. First, patient acquisitions before
and immediately after education were compared. Second, asthma control and morbidity
indicators were evaluated 12 months after education by a telephone survey. Results:
Over three years, 1177 patients were included. Different groups were constituted
according to inclusion in the program at baseline, or their follow-up. The assessment
carried out 12 months after education concerned 675 patients who were able to be
contacted. Before and immediately after education, an evaluation showed improvement in all
parameters such as control of inhalation technique, knowledge of the disease, compliance,
and asthma control. The results showed a significant improvement in morbidity indicators.
In contrast, patients who did not follow the education program had a significant increase
in incidents after 12 months. Most of them were less than 15 years old. Discussion:
In patients who followed the asthma education program, there was a significant
decrease in morbidity criteria and an increase in quality of asthma control. However,
patients lost to follow-up were most frequently teenagers. Conclusion: In
Guadeloupe, where the prevalence of asthma and resulting hospitalizations are greater than
in the other French departments, it is important to improve and to support education
programs