The Effectiveness of Peer-education Programs for Adolescents Diagnosed With Asthma

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children. Although asthma often occurs in childhood, it can occur at any age. The incidence and prevalence of asthma is higher in children. On average, 5-10% of the world's population has an individual diagnosed with asthma, and one-third of these individuals are under the age of 18. In the United States of America (USA), approximately 6 million children between the ages of 0-17 are diagnosed with asthma. It has been reported that adolescents are at high risk for poor asthma outcomes, and death rates from asthma are twice as high in the 11-17 age group than in the 0-10 age group. Peer relationships and peer support are of particular importance for children with chronic illnesses. Adolescents diagnosed with asthma value support from their peers. Adolescents tend to seek guidance from people with similar characteristics, and the opinions of individuals with similar characteristics are more valuable than those of individuals who do not have similar characteristics. Being with an adolescent diagnosed with asthma can improve the adolescent's sense of support and sense of normalcy. It is crucial to create an environment where adolescents diagnosed with asthma can interact with other adolescents diagnosed with asthma, thereby facilitating the formation of a support network.The research was planned in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of technology-based education provided by peers and adults to children diagnosed with asthma in the 14-17 age group. The study group of the study will consist of 48 adolescents (intervention group 1 \[n=16\], intervention group 2 \[n=16\], and control group \[n=16\]). The technology-based program will be applied to adolescents for 4-6 weeks through modules on the website. At the end of the study, it will apply website modules to the adolescents in the control group. The research is based on the Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory.