Community's Voice in Managing Childhood Asthma: The Assessment Phase of Research

This study was designed to investigate community beliefs about caring for childhood asthma and to elicit suggestions for interventions to improve asthmatic children's health. Focus groups were conducted with parents of children with asthma, children with asthma, school staff, and health care and childcare professionals. Data were analyzed for themes, such as disruption of normal living and having to work in a chaotic system, enabling researchers to posit a core belief for each group. These core beliefs, together with encompassed other, related beliefs held by group members, guide attitudes and actions about asthma. Interventions recommended by focus group participants included creating an asthma play, asthma education, and developing a clinic-based registry to standardize asthma documentation. The community's voice is important in assessment and design of health improvement projects. Incorporating the community's suggestions gives the community a sense of contributing to the health care of their children with asthma.