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Published on: August 7, 2017
Identifying preschool children with asthma in Orange County
Jill Berg1, Mary-Lynn Brecht, Tricia Morphew
1Program in Nursing Science, The University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. jpberg@uci.edu
Summary
A pilot study validated the Breathmobile Case Identification Survey (BCIS) for identifying childhood asthma in preschool children. An abbreviated BCIS showed promise as a tool for early asthma risk detection in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood asthma involves early airway changes.
- Early identification of pediatric asthma is crucial for timely intervention.
- Validated screening tools are needed for at-risk preschool populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the Breathmobile Case Identification Survey (BCIS) in preschool-age children.
- To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the BCIS for identifying potential asthma cases.
- To evaluate the utility of an abbreviated BCIS version.
Main Methods:
- Pilot study involving 52 preschool-age children from low-income, Spanish-speaking families in Orange County, CA.
- Administered a seven-question Breathmobile Case Identification Survey (BCIS).
- Compared survey results with diagnoses from an asthma specialist.
Main Results:
- The full seven-question BCIS demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.65 and specificity of 0.94.
- An abbreviated three-question BCIS achieved a sensitivity of 0.70 and specificity of 0.84.
- Thirteen children were flagged by the survey versus 20 diagnosed by a specialist.
Conclusions:
- The abbreviated BCIS is a simple, easily analyzed tool for identifying young children at risk of asthma.
- The survey shows potential for early asthma risk detection, prompting further evaluation and therapy.
- This validated tool can aid in managing pediatric asthma in underserved communities.
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