Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The 5-item, caregiver-completed Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK) was developed and validated primarily in asthma-specialist practices to monitor respiratory control in preschool-aged children. This longitudinal study in children treated by pediatricians evaluated the responsiveness of TRACK to changes in respiratory- and asthma-control status over time and further assessed TRACK's reliability and validity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Caregivers of children younger than 5 years with symptoms consistent with asthma within the past year (N=438) completed TRACK at 2 clinic visits separated by 4 to 6 weeks. Physicians were blinded to caregiver assessment, completed a guidelines-based respiratory-control survey at both visits, and were asked whether the visit resulted in a change in therapy. Responsiveness of TRACK to change in respiratory-control status over time was evaluated; reliability and discriminant validity were assessed. RESULTS: Mean changes in TRACK scores from the initial to follow-up visits differed in the expected direction in subsets of children whose clinical status improved, remained unchanged, or worsened based on physicians' and caregivers' assessments (P < .001). Mean TRACK scores also differed significantly (P < .001) across patient subsets, with lower scores (indicating poorer control) in children classified as very poorly controlled, in those who required a step-up in therapy, and in those who had 4 or more episodes or attacks of wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath per week in the past 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The present study extends the validity and reliability of TRACK by demonstrating its responsiveness to change in respiratory-control status over time in preschool-aged children with symptoms consistent with asthma.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | e737-e747 |
Journal | Pediatrics |
Volume | 127 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Asthma
- Asthma control
- Epidemiologic measurements
- Guidelines questionnaire
- Pediatric
- Preschool children
- Risk
- Validation studies
- Wheezing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health