The Effects of a School-Based Atopy Care Program for School-Aged Children

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based atopy care program (SACP) for children with atopic dermatitis (AD). The program is administered by health teachers who are also school nurses. The study compared groups using a pre- and post-test design. Participants were children with AD and their parents (98 dyads; 32 in the test group and 66 in the control group) sampled from four elementary schools in Seoul. After completing the SACP, parents in the test group had significantly increased knowledge of AD (p = .04) and a greater sense of parental efficacy (p = .02) when compared with the control group. This study derived guidelines that elementary health teachers can use in practice for school-aged children with AD. We concluded that there is sufficient evidence of effectiveness for the SACP to be used as a model for chronic disease management in school-aged children.