Assessment of teachers’ knowledge, awareness, and response to students with asthma in Greater Cairo schools

Bronchial asthma remains a significant public health challenge, especially among school-aged children. Schoolteachers are often the initial responders to asthma attacks, making their role vital for early symptom recognition and first aid provision. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the knowledge, awareness, and response of schoolteachers to students with asthma. Between March 2024 and October 2024, a self-administered questionnaire was created on Google Forms and distributed to schoolteachers through WhatsApp groups of private and public schools across different districts in Greater Cairo. The questionnaire consisted of three sections assessing: (1) teachers' experience and demographics, (2) basic knowledge of asthma, and (3) knowledge related to first aid response in an asthma attack. A total of 634 schoolteachers participated in the study. Of these, 361 (57%) reported having previously taught students with bronchial asthma, whereas only 176 (27.8%) had witnessed a student having an acute asthma attack before. A majority of participants (445/634, 70.2%) correctly identified the short-acting beta agonist (SABA) inhaler or nebulizer as appropriate first aid for an acute asthma attack. However, only 187/634 (29.5%) reported knowing the correct technique for using SABA inhalers or nebulizers during an asthma attack. More than half of the participants, 362/634 (57.1%), provided appropriate answers regarding the etiology of the disease, specifically whether it was a contagious disease or not. There was no statistically significant association between teachers' knowledge level and their sociodemographic characteristics. Teachers in Greater Cairo demonstrated fair knowledge and awareness regarding asthma. However, they did not fully understand appropriate first-aid responses, a gap that underscores the need for more asthma education programs.