Chaney DEVELOPMENTAL Flashcards
Aims
Pilot study
Establish whether specially designed fun haler would increase medical compliance in a group of young children with asthma who were prescribed regular inhaler therapy
Design
Field experiment - own home
Repeated measures design
Assessed 2 : normal and funhaler
IV
Normal or funhaler
DV
Data (use of spacer and attitudes) collected from parents by interview using questionnaire - self report
Sample
32 children and their parents
Opportunity sample
Attending clinics in region of Australia
Age: 1.5-6 yrs
22 boys
10 girls
Materials
2 matched questionnaires were designed to use before and after the children used the Fun-haler.
The questionnaires consisted of mainly Yes / No questions and fixed choice questions.
The questionnaires measured attitude to the use of an inhaler and compliance to the medication.
Procedure
1) Parents of children with asthma were contacted and the purpose of the study explained to them.
2) Informed consent was obtained from parents before they were interviewed. They were not shown the Fun-haler at this time in case that influenced their decision to take part.
3) Once parents had consented, the first step was to interview one parent. The one parent was interviewed using questionnaire 1.
4) The one parent was asked about their attitude and their child’s attitude to the existing conventional spacer they used.
5) Parents were given the Fun-haler to use for 2 weeks in place of their current device. They were told that it should only be used under adult supervision.
6) The amount of usage of the Fun-haler was assessed by phoning the parents once, at random, during the course of the study. During this phone call parents were asked if their child had used the Fun-haler on the previous day.
7) Parents were visited at the end of the 2 weeks and questionnaire 2 was used. The parent who responded on the first occasion was interviewed again.
8) The one parent was asked about their attitude and their child’s attitude to the Fun-haler.
Results
81% - used funhaler
59% - normal
80% - 4 or more breaths (funhaler)
50% - same (normal)
15 children who took less 4 using normal, 11 improved with funhaler
22/30 (73%) parent claimed always successful funhaler
3/30 (10%) success with normal
Attitudes more positive
Funhaler more suspicious
Conclusion(s)
1) The Fun-haler may be useful in improving the compliance rates for spacer use in young children, and thus reducing asthma attacks.
2) More research is needed to investigate whether the positive results of this study are maintained over longer term use.
