Enhancing Disease and Management Knowledge Among Black Americans With Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Purpose: Lack of knowledge contributes to disparate outcomes among Americans with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study assessed the impact of an educational intervention on disease knowledge and management in Black Americans with asthma or COPD. Design: Pre-post study design with 9-month follow-up. Setting: Urban church community. Subjects: Black American adults (N = 38) with self-reported asthma (18) and COPD (20), of which 76.3% (N = 29) completed the intervention. Intervention: The Asthma COPD (ACOPD) Workshop consisted of three 1-hour classes focused on disease knowledge and management behaviors (physical activity, nutrition, and avoiding triggers) delivered in 16 sessions over six months. Measures: Knowledge questionnaire. Analysis: McNemar’s tests for paired proportions. Results: Knowledge of disease concepts increased post-intervention, then decreased at the 9-month follow-up. There was a significant difference in the proportion of participants that provided correct answers to questions about ‘two diseases that constitute COPD’ (P =.04), ‘main cause of COPD’ (P =.01), 'written action plan' (P =.04), and 'untrue statement about asthma,' (P =.02). Conclusion: The ACOPD Workshop increased knowledge of basic disease concepts, risk factors, and management. Regular delivery of educational sessions in the community can support knowledge retention and practice of healthy behaviors.