# Multi-component technology intervention for African American emerging adults with asthma

> **NIH NIH R01** · WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $594,941

## Abstract

Racial and ethnic minority youth have poorer asthma status than Caucasian youth, even after controlling for
socioeconomic variables. Proper use of asthma controller medications is critical in reducing asthma mortality
and morbidity. The clinical consequences of poor asthma management include increased illness complications,
excessive functional morbidity, and fatal asthma attacks. There are significant limitations in research on
interventions to improve asthma management in racial minority populations, particularly minority adolescents
and young adults, though illness management tends to deteriorate after adolescence during emerging
adulthood, the unique developmental period beyond adolescence but before adulthood. All elements of the
proposed study protocol were piloted in an NHLBI-funded pilot study (1R34HL107664-01A1 MacDonell).
Results suggested feasibility and acceptability of the study protocol as well as proof of concept. We are now
ready to test the intervention in a larger randomized clinical trial. The proposed study will include 192 African
American emerging adults with moderate to severe persistent asthma and low controller medication adherence
recruited from clinic and emergency department settings. Half of the sample will be randomized to receive a
multi-component technology-based intervention (MCTI) targeting adherence to daily controller medication. The
MCTI consists of two components: 1) 2 sessions of computer-delivered motivational interviewing targeting
medication adherence, and 2) individualized text messaging focused on medication adherence between the
sessions. Text messages will be individualized based on Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). The
remaining half of participants will complete a series of computer-delivered asthma education modules matched
for length, location, and method of delivery of the intervention session. Control participants will also receive
text messages between intervention sessions. Message content will be the same for all control participants and
contain general facts about asthma (not tailored). Youth will be recruited from the Detroit Medical Center, the
only university affiliated medical center in Detroit, Michigan. It is hypothesized that youth randomized to MCTI
will show improvements in adherence to medication (primary outcome) and asthma control (secondary
outcome) compared to the comparison condition at all post-intervention follow ups (3, 6, 9, and 12 months).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9964881
- **Project number:** 5R01HL133506-05
- **Recipient organization:** WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen MacDonell
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $594,941
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9964881

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9964881, Multi-component technology intervention for African American emerging adults with asthma (5R01HL133506-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9964881. Licensed CC0.

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