The evaluation and policy direction of an allergy prevention and management project in Seoul, Korea

Since 2009, Seoul has annually performed an allergy prevention and management project to educate, promote and consult about allergies and operate atopy?asthma friendly school project. This paper intends to find problems with this project, which has marked its 9th anniversary this year, present how to resolve these problems, and utilize them in the project?s future policy direction in establishing its vision and mid- and long-term development plan. In order to assess the effectiveness of the allergy prevention and management project, this study developed a questionnaire to examine the perception of working-level personnel (healthcare and childcare teachers, ordinary teachers, those responsible in district health centers, and etc.) and Seoul citizens (citizens and parents in atopy?asthma friendly school) and conducted a questionnaire survey on those in charge of the project in 25 district health centers, teachers and parents in 691 atopy?asthma friendly school as of 2017, and 2,000 citizens in Seoul. All groups thought was most important in the project was ?education for each group.? More specifically, the participation rate of ?education for parents,? a group who demanded it most, was very low at 13.6%. Among the reasons they did not participate in the education program, ?I did not know the education program was provided? accounted for most with 53.5%, followed by ?I was not able to take part because I was busy? with 29.9%. In this regard, the education program needs to be promoted first and foremost, and the participation rate would increase if the program is developed in various forms including not just classroom courses but also notices, school websites, and broadcast education so that working parents can also take part in.Obstacles to education in atopy and asthma reassured institutions included ?lack of time? (16.5%), ?lack of understanding about diseases? (15.9%), and ?lack of personnel? (14.1%).While the satisfaction of participants with education was high, the participation rate was not. It is therefore needed to find a way to promote education in order to increase the participation rate increase in the future.Obstacles to education such as lack of time, lack of understanding about diseases, and lack of personnel could have an effect on education participation and effectiveness. The project needs to be pursed in a direction that addresses those obstacles.