Efficacy and feasibility of the BREATHE asthma intervention with American Indian children: a randomized controlled trial

American Indian (AI) children experience significant disparities in asthma prevalence, severity, and burden of disease, yet few asthma education interventions are tested in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of the BREATHE intervention with parents and AI children, during a 3-year follow-up period (n = 108), using a randomized controlled design. Children with asthma identified by electronic medical records (EMR) were screened and matched with 2 controls. The intervention included an initial educational and 24 months of follow-up. The control group continued their usual care. The primary outcome was the frequency of EMR documented, emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalization for respiratory complaints. There was no statistical difference in mean primary outcomes (1.34 (1.98) vs 1.22 (1.95), − 0.88 to 0.63, 95% CI of the difference, p = 0.75), nor percent with any ED visit or hospitalization (29/53, 55% vs 30/55, 54%, p = 0.99) between the intervention or control groups respectively. After 365 days, there was a borderline significant difference in time to primary outcome. Although limited in power, the present study did not demonstrate a persistent effect of this intervention. We recommend that AI pediatric asthma interventions are culturally-designed, use feasible procedures, and repeat education at least every 12 months.