TY - JOUR
T1 - Asthma, atopy, and lung function among racially diverse, poor inner-urban Minneapolis schoolchildren
AU - Greaves, Ian A.
AU - Sexton, Ken
AU - Blumenthal, Malcolm N.
AU - Church, Timothy R.
AU - Adgate, John L.
AU - Ramachandran, Gurumurthy
AU - Fredrickson, Ann L.
AU - Ryan, Andrew D.
AU - Geisser, Mindy S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding : This work was supported by STAR (Science To Achieve Results) grants R825813 and R826789 from the US Environmental Protection Agency, and a grant from the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Research.
PY - 2007/2
Y1 - 2007/2
N2 - As part of an assessment of schoolchildren's environmental exposures and health, a probability sample of 136 children from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds was drawn from grades 2-5 of two inner-urban Minneapolis schools (Whittier, Lyndale). Questionnaires were administered to a parent/guardian; blood samples for IgE and lung function tests were obtained. Overall adjusted rates for lifetime asthma (15.4%; 95%CI 9.3-21.5%), asthma in the last 12 months (13.6%; 7.8-19.4%), and current asthma medication use (10.5%; 5.3-15.7%) were higher than reported US national rates. Adjusted rates for lifetime physician-diagnosed asthma differed significantly among racial/ethnic groups (P<0.01): African-Americans (25.9%), White/Others (25.8%), Hispanics (9.3%), Somalis (1.8%), Asians (0%). Corresponding rates for atopy (total IgE>100 IU/mL or an allergen-specific IgE>0.35 IU/mL) were: African-Americans (66.6%), White/Others (100%), Hispanics (77.2%), Somalis (78.1%), Asians (81.8%). Lung function (FEV1, FVC) was analyzed by linear regression using log-transformed data: significant race-specific differences in lung function were found relative to White/Others (P<0.001 for each racial/ethnic group): African-Americans (FEV1 -16.5%, FVC -16.9%), Somalis (-22.7%, -26.8%), Hispanics (-12.2%, -11.4%) and Asians (-11.1%, -12.4%). Females had significantly lower FEV1 (-8.8%) and FVC (-11.0%) than males. An unexplained, significant difference in children's lung function was found between the two schools. A history of physician-diagnosed asthma was not associated with decreased lung function. Factors other than poverty, inner-urban living, and IgE levels (atopy) need to be considered in the development of childhood asthma.
AB - As part of an assessment of schoolchildren's environmental exposures and health, a probability sample of 136 children from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds was drawn from grades 2-5 of two inner-urban Minneapolis schools (Whittier, Lyndale). Questionnaires were administered to a parent/guardian; blood samples for IgE and lung function tests were obtained. Overall adjusted rates for lifetime asthma (15.4%; 95%CI 9.3-21.5%), asthma in the last 12 months (13.6%; 7.8-19.4%), and current asthma medication use (10.5%; 5.3-15.7%) were higher than reported US national rates. Adjusted rates for lifetime physician-diagnosed asthma differed significantly among racial/ethnic groups (P<0.01): African-Americans (25.9%), White/Others (25.8%), Hispanics (9.3%), Somalis (1.8%), Asians (0%). Corresponding rates for atopy (total IgE>100 IU/mL or an allergen-specific IgE>0.35 IU/mL) were: African-Americans (66.6%), White/Others (100%), Hispanics (77.2%), Somalis (78.1%), Asians (81.8%). Lung function (FEV1, FVC) was analyzed by linear regression using log-transformed data: significant race-specific differences in lung function were found relative to White/Others (P<0.001 for each racial/ethnic group): African-Americans (FEV1 -16.5%, FVC -16.9%), Somalis (-22.7%, -26.8%), Hispanics (-12.2%, -11.4%) and Asians (-11.1%, -12.4%). Females had significantly lower FEV1 (-8.8%) and FVC (-11.0%) than males. An unexplained, significant difference in children's lung function was found between the two schools. A history of physician-diagnosed asthma was not associated with decreased lung function. Factors other than poverty, inner-urban living, and IgE levels (atopy) need to be considered in the development of childhood asthma.
KW - Asthma
KW - Atopy
KW - Home and school environments
KW - Lung function
KW - Minority children
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33846289527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33846289527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2006.09.002
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2006.09.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 17125763
AN - SCOPUS:33846289527
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 103
SP - 257
EP - 266
JO - Environmental research
JF - Environmental research
IS - 2
ER -