Teen project raises asthma awareness in schools
16 November 2009

A project has helped raise asthma awareness and knowledge in 1,500 young people in Northern Ireland through peer led sessions and educational resources.

The project ‘School Teenage Asthma Management Project’ known as STAMP involved four secondary schools in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, chosen by a project team of healthcare professionals.

A total of 32 young people, aged 15-16 years old, were then selected within the schools to train as peer educators and completed specific peer education and asthma awareness training. They delivered asthma awareness sessions to 1,560 young people within the four schools as well as producing high quality and user-friendly asthma educational resources.

Both peer educators and their fellow students and school staff gained knowledge and a better understanding about asthma and how to avoid/manage triggers as well as recognise and manage an asthma attack
 
Joan O’Hagan, Director of Asthma UK Northern Ireland said: ‘It was very evident from talking to the students that they had both enjoyed and personally benefited from both raising awareness and learning how to carry out peer-led education to the 15-16 year old age group in relation to better managing asthma. This is a programme designed by young people for young people to be used by young people.

‘It has been a privilege for Asthma UK to work in partnership with the trust and the participating schools and we wish them continued success in maintaining this creative approach to learning.’

The STAMP project arose from the success of another project ‘School Care and Asthma Management Project’ (SCAMP) which felt the need to further educate young people about asthma. As there was growing evidence of the value of peer led education, the SCAMP team applied to the Asthma UK Challenge Fund to deliver the ‘School Teenage Asthma Management Project’, which became known as STAMP.

This project was funded by a grant from the Pfizer UK Foundation and supported by the Asthma UK Challenge Fund.