Authors: Stout JW, White LC, Redding GJ, Morray BH, Martinez PE, Gergen PJ

Publication Year: 2001

Last Updated: 2016-02-08

Journal: Public Health Reports

Keywords: asthma; American Indian and Alaska Native children; metropolitan Tacoma; non-metropolitan Alaska; environmental factors; non-biologic factors

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: To better understand the prevalence of asthma among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and to explore the contribution of locale to asthma symptoms and diagnostic assignment, the authors surveyed AI/AN middle school students, comparing responses from metropolitan Tacoma, Washington (metro WA) and a non-metropolitan area of Alaska (non-metro AK).

METHODS: Students in grades 6 completed an asthma screening survey. The authors compared self-reported rates of asthma symptoms, asthma diagnoses, and health care utilization for 147 children ages 11-16 self-reporting as AI/AN in metro WA and 365 in non-metro AK.

RESULTS: The prevalences of self-reported asthma symptoms were similar for the metro WA and non-metro AK populations, but a significantly higher percentage of metro WA than of non-metro AK respondents reported having received a physician diagnosis of asthma (OR 2.33; 95% CI 1.23, 4.39). The percentages of respondents who reported having visited a medical provider for asthma-like symptoms in the previous year did not differ.

CONCLUSIONS: The difference in rates of asthma diagnosis despite similar rates of asthma symptoms and respiratory-related medical visits may reflect differences in respiratory disease patterns, diagnostic labeling practices, or environmental factors. Future attempts to describe asthma prevalence should consider the potential contribution of non-biologic factors such as diagnostic practices.

File Download:

Source: Link to Original Article.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11571408/