Happy Air®: A School-Based Educational Program to Maximize Detection of Asthma in Children

Objective. To investigate whether an active partnership among school, parents, and pediatricians allows early identification and treatment of asthmatic children. Methods: An asthma educational program (Happy Air®), based on a strong family-physician-school interrelationship, was performed in six primary schools (2,765 children) before administering a screening questionnaire to the parents. Results. A high response rate (96%) demonstrated 2,649 responders available for the asthma screening: 135 children (5%) received a diagnosis of asthma, of which 37 (27%) were recognized de novo. Conclusion. The active participation of school and parents is the determining factor for the success of an asthma screening program.