Does participation in asthma sports camps improve quality of life and asthma knowledge

Background. Asthma is a significant pediatric disease burden in Hawaii, especially for children of Native Hawaiian descent. Each year The American Lung Association (ALA) of Hawaii provided an Asthma Sports Day Camp (ASDC) in the summer for campers from 5 to 12 years old. This is a prospective study that employs a repeated measures design to determine if participation in an Asthma Sports Day Camp in Hawaii results in a difference in asthma outcomes as it related to knowledge acquisition and Quality of Life. There are no systematic investigations about the outcomes of this program.;Objective. To examine quality of life and asthma knowledge before and after participation in the ALA Asthma Sports Day Camp in Hawaii.;Design/Methods. The study population consists of 40 campers enrolled in the 2007 camp on Oahu, Hawaii. We used the validated Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) developed by Dr. Elizabeth Juniper. The PAQLQ is a twenty-six question measurement tool that employs a seven point Likert scale (simplified to a five point Likert scale for this study) and produces a score. The PAQLQ was administered the first morning of the camp and 6 weeks after camp. We also administered the reliable and validated Asthma General Knowledge Questionnaire for Adults (AGKQA), as developed and psychometrically validated by Allen and Jones, to the parents the first morning of camp and at the end of camp. All results are analyzed, synthesized and reported in aggregate form.;Results. There was a significant difference in knowledge acquisition, and a nearly significant change in Quality of Life in six weeks after the Asthma Sports Day Camp.;Conclusions. Asthma Sports Day Camp is a positive potential tool in asthma management, especially knowledge acquisition and Quality of Life. It is of concern that these camps are disappearing from the community. These experiences are of modest cost and achieve the outcomes proposed.