Examining Social Determinants of Health in Childhood Asthma Management

Social determinants of health (SDoHs) influence how well a family manages children's asthma. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of SDoHs on family asthma management.

A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted with 292 children in grades 2 to 5 who had current asthma and their parents to examine associations between SDoHs and the families' asthma management, quality of life, and healthcare utilization.

Data were collected from both child and parent. Social determinants of health include the child's race/ethnic group, age, gender, and asthma severity and the family's socioeconomic status and language spoken in the home, and the school was the community-level variable. Parents and children completed asthma management and quality-of-life scales and parents reported on the children's emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma.

Worse quality of life was reported by families with lower socioeconomic status and African American children. Asthma severity was associated with parents' asthma management but not children's asthma self-management. Families who spoke Spanish at home had the lowest socioeconomic status yet performed significantly more asthma management than English-speaking families.

The findings highlight factors the clinical nurse specialist should address in educational interventions.