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Hispanic children with asthma: morbidity
P R Wood1, H A Hidalgo, T J Prihoda
1Dept of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7808.
Insights
This study highlights significant asthma burdens in Hispanic children, including frequent symptoms and school absences. Identifying predictors of morbidity is crucial for improving health outcomes in this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Health Disparities
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hispanic children are a growing population facing significant health disadvantages.
- Asthma and chronic respiratory diseases disproportionately affect poor children.
- Limited data exists on asthma-specific morbidities and health barriers for Hispanic children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the morbidity associated with asthma in Hispanic children.
- To identify factors that predict asthma-related morbidity in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 78 Hispanic children (ages 6-16) with moderate asthma at UT Health San Antonio.
- Data collected via questionnaires, spirometry, medical records, and school attendance.
- Inclusion criteria: >=2 acute-care visits or 1 hospitalization for asthma in the prior year.
Main Results:
- 67% of children had prior hospitalizations.
- Average impairment: 1.1 days/week; School absences: 13 days/year.
- 44% experienced secondhand smoke exposure; average FEV1/FVC: 79.3%.
Conclusions:
- Hispanic children with asthma experience substantial morbidity, impacting daily life and education.
- Further research is needed to identify specific predictors and develop targeted interventions.
- Addressing environmental factors like secondhand smoke may be key to reducing asthma burden.
Abstract:
Hispanic children represent a large and growing segment of the poor and disadvantaged children in our country. Asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases have a significant impact on poor children. Yet there are few descriptions of the specific morbidities and barriers to health that Hispanic children with asthma encounter, and data on predictors of morbidity among these children are unavailable. The purpose of this study is to describe the morbidity associated with asthma in Hispanic children and to identify factors that predict morbidity. A group of Hispanic children with moderate asthma followed in the clinics of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio were studied. Children aged 6 to 16 years with at least two acute-care visits or one hospitalization for asthma during the previous year were enrolled. Data sources included standardized questionnaires, spirometry, medical records, and school attendance records. Seventy-eight Hispanic children were enrolled in the study (mean age = 9.4 +/- 2.7 [SD]; 62% male). Fifty-two (67%) of children had been hospitalized previously. The other morbidity variables (mean +/- SD) were number of days/week impaired (1.1 +/- 1.2), number of days absent from school per year (13 +/- 9.6), number of acute-care visits per year (3.3 +/- 2.4), and number of hospital admissions per year (0.6 +/- 0.8). The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity was 79.3% (+/- 9.1) and the mean forced expiratory flow, mid-expiratory phase, percent predicted was 69.9% (+/- 25.1). Thirty-four children (44%) were exposed to cigarette smoke in the home.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)