Childhood asthma is a significant public health problem in the United States, with children living in remote rural communities and inner cities experiencing disproportionately higher morbidity and mortality. According to the 2012 Missouri Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, children in Missouri experience higher rates of asthma than the national average, with 10.2% of Missouri children affected. The Childhood Asthma Linkages in Missouri (CALM) project was designed by the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to support the implementation and expansion of comprehensive, innovative and evidence-based programs to improve asthma outcomes for school-age children. CALM supported programs were implemented in 14 urban and rural sites and led by hospitals, school districts, or university-based health centers used community-based approaches to build successful linkages among those responsible for children’s asthma care.
From 2010 to 2014, CMCD worked with CALM grantees to conduct the CALM evaluation. Findings from the evaluation showed that one year after the implementation children had fewer asthma symptoms, fewer missed school days, fewer days of rescue inhaler use, and fewer days of inactivity due to asthma. In addition, CALM grantees reported changes in their communities to better coordinate care for children with asthma including policy, and practice changes in their schools, clinics, and hospitals.
For more information, contact Laurie Carpenter at lauriemc@umich.edu.
Categories:
Asthma & Allergies, Children & Youth, Community
