Related Experiment Videos
Early asthma onset: risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties
D A Mrazek1, W B Schuman, M Klinnert
1Department of Psychiatry, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010-2970, USA.
Insights
Early asthma onset by age 3 is linked to more behavioral problems in children. These issues persist and include sleep disturbances, depressed mood, and fearfulness, impacting adjustment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Asthma is a common childhood condition with potential long-term impacts.
- The connection between asthma onset and behavioral adjustment requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between the age of asthma onset and behavioral adjustment in children.
- To identify specific behavioral problems associated with early-onset asthma.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal prospective study of 150 children at genetic risk for asthma.
- Children monitored for 6 years; maternal interviews using the Behavioral Screening Questionnaire (BSQ) yearly.
- Comparison of behavioral outcomes between early-onset asthma, late-onset asthma, and asthma-free groups.
Main Results:
- Children with early asthma onset (by age 3) showed significantly more behavior problems at age 4 compared to later-onset asthma.
- The early-onset group exhibited more problems at age 6 than both later-onset and asthma-free children.
- Early asthma onset was associated with internalizing behaviors: night waking, depressed mood, and increased fearfulness.
Conclusions:
- Early-onset asthma negatively influences behavioral adjustment.
- These behavioral impacts extend to a wider range of asthma severity than previously recognized.
- Identifying early behavioral patterns can inform interventions for children with asthma.
Abstract:
The relationship between age of asthma onset and behavioral adjustment was analyzed using data from a longitudinal prospective investigation of 150 children identified prenatally as at genetic risk for developing asthma (the W. T. Grant Asthma Risk Study). The children's development and asthma status were monitored regularly for 6 years. Mothers were interviewed yearly using the Behavioral Screening Questionnaire (BSQ). Children who had an early onset of asthma (by 3 years of age) had significantly more behavior problems at age 4 than children who developed asthma later (between 3 and 6 years of age). Furthermore, the early-onset group had significantly more problems at age 6 than both children who developed asthma later and children who never developed asthma. Children with early asthma onset were compared to children who were asthma free on individual problem items of the BSQ, revealing a profile of behavior problems that included waking at night, depressed mood, and some indication of increased fearfulness. This profile is consistent with an earlier report of behavior problems among severely asthmatic preschool children (Mrazek, Anderson, & Strunk, 1984), who displayed the same internalizing behavior problems on the BSQ. These results suggest that early asthma onset may have predictable negative influences on behavioral adjustment over a wider range of asthma severity than has previously been reported.