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Stephanie Easton

and 11 more

Background Many adolescents with asthma have dysfunctional breathing and poor quality of life. Breathing retraining is recommended for symptom management and breathing efficiency. This trial evaluated the feasibility of conducting a definitive trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a digital breathing retraining intervention for adolescents with asthma (Breathe4T – a mobile-friendly website). Specifically, recruitment, follow-up response rates, acceptability and uptake of the intervention and measures, as well as agreement between two quality of life questionnaires were measured. Methods Adolescents (12-17 years) with asthma and impaired quality of life were recruited via UK primary and secondary care clinics and randomised into two, unblinded groups. The intervention group accessed Breathe4T for 6 months whilst the control group gained access after 6 months. Measures included quality of life (paediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire and paediatric quality of life short form), asthma control (asthma control test), healthcare utilisation and demographics at baseline, 2 and 6 months. Website data and interviews explored experiences of the intervention. Results 64 adolescents were randomised. At 2 months 30.2% of participants returned data, however telephone calls improved the rate to 70.3% at 6-month follow-up Breathing retraining was acceptable to adolescents and was perceived to have various benefits. Conclusions The study demonstrates acceptability and feasibility of a future definitive trial to evaluate effectiveness and impacts of a breathing retraining website on quality of life. Implications for recruitment and maximising follow up rates were identified. These learnings are likely to be applicable to other adolescent studies.