The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
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Urban minority populations experience increased rates of obesity and increased asthma prevalence and severity. Objective. The authors sought to determine whether obesity, as measured by body mass index (BMI), was associated with asthma quality of life or asthma-related emergency department (ED)/urgent care utilization in an urban, community-based sample of adults. ⋯ In a community-based sample of urban asthmatic adults, obesity was related to worse asthma-specific quality of life and increased ED/urgent care utilization. However, compared to other variables measured such as depression, the contribution of obesity to lower AQLQ scores was relatively modest.
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Comparative Study
Higher metabolic syndrome in obese asthmatic compared to obese nonasthmatic adolescent males.
The relationship between asthma and obesity has been documented in children and adolescents; however, few studies on metabolic syndrome and asthma have been performed. ⋯ Adolescent males who were obese and also had mild persistent asthma had a significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than obese males without asthma. However, overall, asthma seems to confer a protective effect against the prediabetes condition in males.
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Comparative Study
Racial and ethnic differences in the use of environmental control practices among children with asthma.
Minority children with asthma suffer a disproportionate burden of asthma morbidity. National asthma guidelines recommend use of environmental control practices (ECPs) as part of a comprehensive approach to asthma management. The purpose of this study was to examine use of ECPs among minority and nonminority children with asthma. ⋯ These data illustrate that there are differences in the patterns of ECP use among minority and nonminority children with asthma in these four states. This information can help target physician counseling regarding ECP use in asthmatic children and should inform interventions to improve asthma management among minority children.
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To explore the utility of two measures, Risk for Nonadherence (RN) and Admitted Nonadherence (AN), developed in a national sample of children with chronic asthma, for predicting short-term morbidity among children following a pediatric emergency department (PED) visit for acute asthma and to compare verbal and self-completion of these measures. ⋯ RN and AN were both associated with morbidity indices following an acute asthma exacerbation and can identify children at risk for increased short-term morbidity regardless of the method of questionnaire administration. Assessment of RN and AN by self-administered questionnaire during an ED visit for asthma maybe feasible.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Parental knowledge and use of preventive asthma care measures in two pediatric emergency departments.
Parents of children who visit the pediatric emergency department (PED) for asthma exacerbations may have inadequate knowledge of preventive asthma care. The primary objective of this study was to assess knowledge and use of preventive asthma care measures among parents of children with asthma who present to the PED with asthma exacerbations. The secondary objective was to identify variables that predict adherence to four key preventive care measures. ⋯ Parents of children with persistent asthma presenting to urban tertiary care PEDs with asthma exacerbations frequently have inadequate understanding of appropriate ICS use. Parents with less than a high school education, in particular, may benefit from focused educational interventions that address the importance of daily ICS use in asthma control. Parents who receive a written action plan are more confident in their ability to provide care for their child during an asthma exacerbation.