141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

285002
Improving health outcomes for children with asthma: A mixed-method evaluation of the CALM program


Monday, November 4, 2013 : 9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Laurie Carpenter, MSW, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Julie Eismin, MPH, Center for Managing Chronic Disease, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Laurie Lachance, PhD, MPH, Health Behavior & Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Noreen Clark, PhD, Center for Managing Chronic Disease, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Childhood asthma is a significant public health problem in the United States, with children living in Missouri experiencing higher rates of asthma than the national average. The Childhood Asthma Linkages in Missouri (CALM) program was designed by the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to support the implementation of comprehensive and innovative programs to improve health outcomes for school-age children with asthma across the state of Missouri. Researchers at the Center for Managing Chronic Disease (CMCD) at the University of Michigan have worked with MFH and the 14 CALM grantees – schools, hospitals, clinics, and universities – to develop and implement a comprehensive evaluation of the program. Data sources include implementation data, key informant surveys of program staff, and a pre- and post-test survey administered to parents and guardians of program participants at baseline and at one-year follow-up regarding asthma-related outcomes, medication usage, and linkages with schools and clinicians.

Analyses of 204 pre- and post-test survey pairs of program participants show statistically significant (p<0.001) reductions in daytime asthma symptoms, nighttime awakenings due to asthma, rescue inhaler use, asthma-related school absences, and urgent health care visits due to asthma. Utilizing the EPR-3 Guidelines, the percentage of children determined to have well-controlled asthma increased from 59% at baseline to 75% at first year follow-up (p<0.0001). Within group analyses show better change over time outcomes for programs with strong school nurse participation, and also for those programs having created sustainable policy and practice changes across the many circles of influence for children with asthma.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice

Learning Objectives:
Identify community-based childhood asthma intervention strategies that have resulted in improved health outcomes for children Discuss policy and system changes that lead to improved continuity of care for children with asthma

Keyword(s): Child Health, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the project director for the CALM program, and a senior research associate with much experience in developing and implementing state-wide and national cross-site evaluations of public health programs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3052.0: MCH program evaluation for infants and children