Asthma Home Management in the Inner-City: What can the Children Teach us?

Melissa H. Bellin, Angelica Newsome, Cassie Land, Joan Kub, Shawna S. Mudd, Mary Elizabeth Bollinger, Arlene M. Butz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective Knowledge of asthma home management from the perspective of poor, minority children with asthma is limited. Method Convenience sampling methods were used to recruit families of low-income children who are frequently in the emergency department for uncontrolled asthma. Thirteen youths participated in focus groups designed to elicit reflections on asthma home management. Data were analyzed using grounded theory coding techniques. Results Participants (Mean age = 9.2 years) were African American (100%), enrolled in Medicaid (92.3%), averaged 1.4 (standard deviation = 0.7) emergency department visits over the prior 3 months, and resided in homes with at least 1 smoker (61.5%). Two themes reflecting multifaceted challenges to the development proper of self-management emerged in the analysis. Discussion Findings reinforce the need to provide a multipronged approach to improve asthma control in this high-risk population including ongoing child and family education and self-management support, environmental control and housing resources, linkages to smoking cessation programs, and psychosocial support.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)362-371
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Pediatric Health Care
Volume31
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2017

Keywords

  • Asthma
  • children
  • focus groups
  • poverty
  • self-management

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

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