Breathe Easy Tamariki

Respiratory education - HEALTH INTO THE HANDS OF OUR FUTURE

  • Breathe Easy Tamariki - junior school lung health program

      

                    

     

    THE PROGRAM

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    • The Breathe Easy Tamariki program is helping schools educate in lung health.

    • Evidence based - developed in collaboration with Tu Kotahi Maori Asthma Trust and Te Atawhai O Te Ao Maori Research Institute.

    • Materials developed by the Otago Respiratory team under the guidance of Bernadette Jones and Dr Tristram Ingham.

    THE DELIVERY

    • Delivered In-person delivery by Asthma NZ.
    • 4 x 30 min interactive learning modules for tamariki.
    • Comprehensive toolkit & education module for school staff.
    • Whānau Fun Days.
    • Participation in Community events.

     PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

    • Increase their health literacy.
    • Give young people confidence to take control of their health.
    • Improve their breathing techniques.
    • Empower our young people to make smart choices about their lung health.
    • Provide tools and awareness to recognise asthma in themselves or their whānau.
    • Give them confidence to respond well in an asthma emergency.
    • Reduce school absenteeism due to asthma.
    • Keep our young people fit and active as they manage their asthma well.

     THE RESULTS

    From the pilot in Mangere

    • Less than 30% were able to locate their lungs prior to the delivery of the program.
    • On average only 1 child per class was able to explain why oxygen was important.

    After the program

    • 90% correctly identified the main respiratory organs in the body.
    • 98% identified smoking as harmful to their lungs.
    • 79% correctly identified the steps to take in an asthma emergency.
    • 88% scored higher than 75% in the health quiz.
    • 100% identified oxygen as the petrol that fuels the human body - they identified thinking clearly and running fast as two things impacted by not breathing well.

    “Nothing else matters when you can’t breathe”