BAHRAINI SCHOOL TEACHERS ' KNOWLEDGE OF ASTHMA

Background and Objectives: Bronchial asthma is a common and life-threatening problem affecting school children and adolescents. School teachers must be aware of this condition to educate their students, and to provide assistance to manage such attacks. This study is designed to assess the asthma knowledge of school teachers, and to determine if such knowledge is influenced by other variables. Methods: From randomly selected schools representing all schools in Bahrain, 1140 teachers were surveyed. A pre-designed self-administered questionnaire was delivered to all teachers. It was designed to collect information related to asthma knowledge and other variables. Results: Eighty nine percent returned the questionnaire. The study showed that Bahraini school teachers have only average or poor knowledge of asthma presentation and management. Teachers ' knowledge was 82 percent for the complaint of shortness of breath as a presenting factor in asthma, and 81.7 percent for cough. Only 66.5 percent knew that wheezing after physical exertion is a strong indicator of asthma. Women and single teachers were better informed than others. Conclusion: Health care reform requires an interdisciplinary approach from various organizations, particularly the schools. It is vital that school teachers ' health knowledge be improved and continuously updated that it can be reflected in students ' attitudes. Key words: Asthma; school teachers ' knowledge; benefit