Happy Air (R): 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 R ), 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.