PEP (Parent and Child-Informed, Environmentally-Responsive Pediatric Asthma) Study

Univ Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary More than 8% of US children are estimated to suffer from asthma. This condition can result in recurring anxiety and stress for children and their parents. These responses can then increase disease severity by triggering the same pathophysiologic pathways as the illness and by interfering with clinical treatment adherence. The need for effective non-pharmaceutical approaches for these adverse responses is crucial for the long-term wellbeing of these children and their families. Prior research has shown mindfulness interventions have improved stress resilience, coping with pain, anxiety, and pathophysiologic processes (e.g. inflammation and immune function) involved in chronic diseases such as asthma. In addition, environmental factors have been linked with asthma incidence and with increasing disease severity through exacerbating pathophysiologic processes. Thus environmental factors, such as living in areas with high levels of air pollution or lacking adequate transportation to health resources, may present unique barriers to the participation, uptake and physiologic benefits of mindfulness interventions. The proposed career development award provides the necessary resources for building a multidisciplinary team of experts in the fields of mindfulness, intervention research, neuroscience, environmental health and pediatric asthma to conduct preliminary research and develop long-term collaborations to address gaps in the provision of effective non-pharmaceutical approaches for enhancing the wellbeing of children with asthma and their families. We propose to 1) review the current literature at the intersection of these multiple disciplines to identify overlaps for etiologic and intervention research and publish these findings to enhance future research and 2) conduct formative research to begin adapting an existing, feasibility-tested parent/child mindfulness intervention to account for environmental factors and to address the needs of children with asthma and their parents.