The Community United to Challenge Asthma

This study compares an asthma self-management intervention, delivered to the family and
tailored to their needs and cultural beliefs, to standard asthma education on two risk
factors for asthma exacerbations in high-risk Puerto Rican children in high school. The
self-management intervention will be a series of home visits provided by Puerto Rican
community health workers. During home visits, the family will be educated using a standard
asthma Core Curriculum which is tailored to individual needs, strengths, and beliefs.
Specific Aim 1 is to test the ability of this tailored community health worker
self-management intervention to reduce home asthma triggers and increase medication
adherence in Puerto Rican adolescents with asthma. Specific Aim 2 is to test if any changes
in triggers and adherence associated with this intervention are sustained 8 months after the
completion of the active intervention. Another goal of the study is to build community
capacity for asthma management in the target high-risk community.