Book Description
Children from lower socioeconomic groups and children from some minority groups experience higher rates of childhood asthma than children from higher socioeconomic groups and white children. This thesis is guided by the following research questions: 1) what are the risk factors associated with the development of asthma among poor and minority children and 2) what effect do interventions for all children, in comparison to those for poor and minority children, have on the development of asthma? This review examined peer-reviewed articles published in scholarly journals within the last ten years. Poor air quality, both indoor and outside, and socioeconomic disadvantage are associated with childhood asthma disparities. Interventions that reduced exposure to environmental triggers were effective in improving outcomes for all children with asthma. Interventions effective for children from poor and minority families targeted the child's social environment, including family and community, and took place in the home, or school. Strategies that included culturally appropriate measures were utilized effectively. Interventions that combined allergy testing in order to tailor counseling to the child with more comprehensive strategies, such as addressing barriers to care, and promoting better communication between caregiver and health care provider, were effective in improving outcomes. To inform future policy, more interventions that focus on the populations affected by childhood asthma disparities are needed. Interventions that show health benefits and cost effectiveness are especially important in order to promote wider implementation and reduce disparities in childhood asthma.
