Recent research showed significant improvements in asthma symptoms and quality of life in a largely Hispanic population following a home-based education approach.

In the study titled “Improving Asthma in Hispanic Families Through a Home-Based Educational Intervention,“ a longitudinal nonrandomized design was used, and a holistic and home-based approach was developed and implemented in Hidalgo County from September 2012 to August 2014 to educate a targeted population of families with children diagnosed with asthma.

In the educational intervention, trained community health workers visited participants’ homes, providing allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers, and information on reducing exposure to asthma triggers.

The results revealed a decrease in overnight hospital stays from 6% to 1%, and a drop in the need for a clinic or doctor visit related to problems with asthma from 50% to 31%.

Based on these results, the researchers indicate that participating families, who often live in environmentally substandard housing, may benefit from an integrated training approach to decrease the risk of asthma episodes.

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