Table 2 Overview of study characteristics of included trials

From: Interventions to enhance the adoption of asthma self-management behaviour in the South Asian and African American population: a systematic review

Study, Country

Population characteristics

Intervention characteristics

Aim

Ethnicity; Participants; Sample age; Sample size (I/C)

Study setting; SES/area

Intervention description/length

Control /other group descriptions

Delivery (ethnicity; language)

Mode of delivery

Modified; Targeted; Tailored

‘Majority’ South Asian trials

Agrawal30 India

Evaluated efficacy of PAAPSs for asthma control

Indian; Patients; parents; 2–12; 60 (32/28)

Tertiary (university clinic)

Education; sessions, training including on asthma symptom diary and peak flow measurements

No PAAP, standard asthma therapy and education

Trained physician; social scientist (-)

Individual; Written material

Modified

 

PAAPs

 
 

Asthma therapy/not stated

Behera31 India

Assessed patient knowledge of self-care needs and develop/evaluate a self-care manual

Indian

Tertiary (outpatient university clinic)

Education-booklet in Hindi (included a PAAP)

No specific instructions/pilot study used to develop booklet in Hindi (n = 45)

Not stated (Hindi)

Written material

Targeted

 

Patients; 18–60; 523 (260/263)

Booklet evaluation/not stated

Other methods not stated

Ghosh32 India

Assessed the impact of self-management education and training on health status and resource use

Indian

Tertiary (university clinic)

Education; sessions, training, written instructions, audio-visual aids, role models, group/scenario discussions

Regular care e.g. drug administration

Trained social scientist (-)

Group;

Modified

 

Patients; Parents; 10–45; 276 (140/136)

Daily diary (included symptom assessment and financial workbook)

Written material

Asthma therapy

PAAPs/four 2 hour sessions

Shanmugam33 India

Provided pharmaceutical care through partnership of pharmacists and patients for good asthma control

Indian

Tertiary (university hospital)

Education; sessions, asthma care diary in English and Tamil (including leaflet), PAAP and symptom log sheet

No pharmaceutical care

Not stated (English and Tamil)

Written material;

Modified

 

Patients Age; −; 66 (33/33)

Medication counselling/not stated

Other methods not stated

‘Minority’ South Asians trials

Griffiths34 UK

Tested whether specialist nurses across ethnically diverse and deprived areas reduce unscheduled care

South Asians (mostly Bangladeshi) White Caucasians, Other (Black/African Caribbean/Other)

Primary/secondary (out-of-hours GP service/hospital)

Education; training based on guidelines, nurse review with advice

Usual care; single nurse visits to discuss asthma guidelines and check inhaler technique

Trained nurse specialists (partially; PAAPs explained in Sylheti)

Individual;

Modified

 

PAAP explained in English and Sylheti

Written material;

Ongoing clinical support for professionals on computer prompts

Patients; 4–60; 164 (95/69)

Deprived/urban

Peak flow meters provided

Telephone

Oral corticosteroids/2 one hour visits for GP practices; 194 days

Griffiths35 UK

Tested whether culturally specific education programmes adapted from USA interventions reduce unscheduled care

South Asians (Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Sri Lankan)

Primary (GP)

Education; session including PAAP, nurse follow-ups to book appointments (CDSMP), research training with video based on guidelines, South Asian actors and manualised programme (PACE)/PACE; two seminars; CDSMP; 2-hour session

Usual care; nurse delivered standardised consultation. No PAAP/follow-up appointments provided

PACE; Nurse specialists, Academic GPs CDSMP; Trained nurse specialists (South Asians)

Group;

Modified

 

Patients; Primary/secondary care clinicians; 3 and above; 375 (183/192)

Deprived/urban

Video/DVD;

Written material

Moudgil36 UK

Tested whether bilingual education of treatment optimisation and follow-up reduce urgent healthcare and improve quality of life

South Asian (mainly Indian and Pakistani), White European

Primary (GP)

Education; community sessions delivered in South Asian languages including written literature, education follow-up

Usual asthma care follow-up

Trained GP (South Asian)

Individual;

Modified

 

Patients; GP; 11–59; 344 (171/173)

Low or medium deprivation/urban

Booklet including PAAP (based on BTS guidelines) and peak flow measurements

Written material

GP trained on prescribing, optimal treatment, knowledge and medication

Peak flow meter provided

Asthma therapy/40 minutes

Poureslami37 Canada

Explored the effectiveness of different culturally relevant information formats and impact on self-management

South Asians (Indian Punjabi), Chinese

Other/tertiary (home, university clinic)-

Education; videos (physician-led, community and physician-led/community combination)

Pictorial pamphlet in either Mandarin, Cantonese or Punjabi

Research facilitators (South Asian)

Group/video

Targeted

 

Patients; 21 and above; 45 (33/12)

Peak flow meter

/Co-development of intervention (n = 35); focus group sessions (n = 40)

PAAPs/1 month

‘Minority’ African American trials

Blixen42 USA

Tested feasibility of a culturally appropriate in-patient education programme for hospitalisation

African Americans

Tertiary (hospital)

Education; sessions and video, asthma workbook using African-American images, references to famous celebrities, written education posted as follow-up

Received usual care

Trained nurse (Not stated)

Individual;

Modified

 

Patients; 8–50; 28 (14/14)

Peak flow meter; MDI spacer provided

Video/DVD;

Toll free numbers for asthma organisations/Three 1-hour sessions

Written material

Fisher38 USA

Tested community-based intervention to improve asthma awareness, attitudes, management practices and reduce acute care

African Americans, White Caucasians, Others

Other (community, school)

Education; promotion campaigns, sessions, training residents to support patients in school and community/12 months

Four areas in the same location with similar SES characteristics

Trained university staff/residents (African American)

Group;

Modified

 

Patients; parents 5–14; 249 (100/149)

Low income

Individual

Fisher46 USA

Tested whether community health workers can reach low-income parents of hospitalised children and to reduce rehospitalisation

African American

Other/secondary (community, hospital)

Education; sessions by asthma coach based on guidelines and parental support contacts/meetings for readiness to change, training for asthma coaches (including PAAPs)/2 years

Usual care; inpatient education and discharge planning with PAAP, a suggested follow-up primary care within 1 week of discharge

Nurse,

Individual;

Modified

 

Parents; African-American Coaches; 2–8; 191 (97/94)

Low income/urban

psychologist,

Group;

 

three trained coaches (African American)

Telephone

Ford43 USA

Reanalysed an education programme that assessed the effects on asthma outcomes

African Americans

Secondary (emergency department)

Education; sessions and follow-ups, handout, mailed sessions for non-attenders

Received no intervention

Trained healthcare professionals and nurses (not stated)

Group;

Modified

 

Patients; 18–70; 241 (119/122)

Urban and rural

Visual medical card

Written material

Wallet sized card (with medication list, dose, frequency)

Placebo inhaler to practice/3 sessions

Keslo39 USA

Provided major long-term therapeutic intervention and intensive education

African Americans

Secondary /tertiary (emergency department/university clinic)

Education; sessions based on NIH guidelines, Follow-up clinics

Usual care

Pharmacy researcher, pulmonologist (not stated)

Individual;

Modified

 

Patients; 18 and above; 52 (30/22)

Low; deprived

 

Telephone;

Education booklet (including diary card for measurements and 1-page summary of asthma prevention, medications, triggers and peak flow meter product literature)

Written material

Asthma therapy for ICS

Peak flow meter (colour-coded stickers), inhaled b-agonist and aero chamber provided/1-hour session

Keslo44 USA

Tested if a long‐term management programme (emphasising ICS and patient education), would improve outcomes

African Americans

Tertiary (university based clinic)

Education; session

Usual care from local physicians

Pharmacy researcher (not stated)

Individual;

Modified

 

Patients; 18 and above; 39 (21/18)

Low; working and middle-class college students

Educational booklet

Group;

Written instructions on asthma crisis management

Written material

Asthma therapy and peak flow meter (colour-coded stickers), MDI and other medications

Follow-up clinics (including diary)/2 years

Velsor-Friedrich40 USA

Tested the effect of a school-based education programme (Open Airways) on the psychosocial outcomes

African Americans

Other

Education; sessions/2 weeks, six 45 minute sessions per week

Usual care; participated in the Open Airways programme after intervention

Academic professor, nurse

Group

Modified

 

Patients; 8–13; 102 (40/62)

(Eight public primary school with nurse clinics)

(-)

Low/Urban

Velsor-Friedrich41 USA

An extension of the study above (Velsor-Friedrich 2004): tested a two-part school-based education programme

African Americans

Other (eight public primary schools with nurse clinics)

Education-sessions (as above)

As above and all students received a PAAP

Academic professor, academic nurse(-)

Individual; Written material

Modified

 

Patients; 8–13; 52 (28/24)

Low/urban

A further 5-month visit with nurse where education information was reinforced, a packet of asthma information reviewed if needed, PAAPs adjusted, clinical assessment on medication and peak flow monitoring/7 weeks, 45 minute sessions, once per week

Velsor-Friedrich45 USA

Evaluated efficacy of a school-based asthma education program on psychosocial & health outcomes

African Americans

Other (5 secondary schools)

Education; sessions, coping skills training including role-playing & technology use (with a booster session as follow-up)

Routine education

Clinician,

Individual; Group

Modified

 

Patients; 13–19; 137 (74/63)

Low

Nurse practitioner reinforcement & clinic visit

nurse,

 

Provided MDI, hydro fluoroalkane & static free chamber

clinical psychologist

 

Peak flow diary

trained doctoral student

 

PAAP/Six 45 minute sessions over 6 weeks

(-)

  1. Note: Missing data obtained from authors is noted in italic in the table