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Abstract
STARBRIGHT World is an innovative computer network for hospitalized children that provides interactive health education as well as opportunities to meet online with children in other hospitals. Fifty hospitalized children with sickle cell disease (SCD) or asthma participated in at least 1 day of a 3-day curriculum involving STARBRIGHT World activities and were compared to 60 control participants who participated in traditional hospital educational and recreational activities. Disease knowledge, perceived social support from peers, and coping skills were assessed at pre- and posttest. Participation in STARBRIGHT World resulted in a trend toward greater increases in knowledge for teens with asthma, more perceived peer support for children with SCD, and decreased negative coping among teens with SCD. The lack of more global treatment effects may be related to sample size and measurement variability issues, as well as limitations and variability in treatment intensity. Discussion focuses on ways to enhance STARBRIGHT World efficacy via outpatient and home-based program development and the need for further research using larger samples and more standardized intervention.
