Effectiveness of an educational package on health promotion behaviours of mothers of asthmatic children in Karnataka, India: A quasi experimental study

Background: Asthma education for mothers of asthmatic children is one of the cornerstones of management of childhood asthma. Empowering mothers with health promotion behaviors can reduce recurrent asthma exacerbations and improve health outcomes of asthmatic children. Objectives: To assess the health promotion behaviors of mothers of asthmatic children, and to determine the effectiveness of an educational package on health promotion behaviors. Method: A quasi- experimental design with block randomization was used to collect data from a sample of mothers (N=80) distributed between the experimental (n=40) and control (n =40) group. The study was conducted in the Pediatric Outpatient Departments of selected hospitals. A Baseline Proforma and a Health Promotion Behaviors scale was used to collect data. The educational package (information booklet and video) was administered to the experimental group and the control group received routine care. Results: The post-test mean health promotion behavior scores of the experimental group 87.58 ± 3.30 (CI: 86.52 - 88.63) was significantly higher than that of the control group 79.00± 5.98 (CI: 77.09 - 80.91). The two-factor analysis of variance for repeated measures and the Post hoc Bonferroni test showed statistically significant improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The education package was effective in improving the health promotion behaviors of mothers of asthmatic children. Pediatric outpatient units can utilize the educational package to promote the health and quality of life of asthmatic children.