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The association between symptomatic asthma and neurobehavioral comorbidities among children

Ahmed A Arif1

  • 1Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223, U.S.A. aarif@uncc.edu

The Journal of Asthma : Official Journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
|August 12, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children with symptomatic asthma show higher odds of neurological problems, including hearing impairment. This study highlights the importance of considering neurobehavioral comorbidities in pediatric asthma management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Asthma is a prevalent condition affecting millions of children in the U.S.
  • The co-occurrence of asthma with other medical conditions in children is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between symptomatic asthma and neurobehavioral comorbidities in children residing in rural U.S. settings.
  • To identify specific mental health and neurological problems linked to symptomatic asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 406 parents/caregivers of children aged 16 or younger.
  • Symptomatic asthma defined by physician diagnosis and reported nighttime asthma symptoms.
  • Survey questionnaires assessed child's health status and reported comorbidities.

Main Results:

  • Symptomatic asthma was identified in 9% of the sample.
  • Children with symptomatic asthma had significantly elevated odds of reporting neurological problems (adjusted OR = 4.0), particularly hearing impairment or deafness (adjusted OR = 8.2).
  • Elevated odds were also observed for anxiety (adjusted OR = 2.6) and attentional problems (adjusted OR = 2.4), though overall mental health associations were not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

  • Symptomatic asthma is significantly associated with neurological comorbidities in children.
  • Findings underscore the need for integrated care approaches addressing both respiratory and neurological health in pediatric asthma.
Abstract

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