Dataset Information

Parental numeracy and asthma exacerbations in Puerto Rican children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Puerto Ricans share a disproportionate burden of childhood asthma in the United States. Little is known about the impact of low parental numeracy (a health literacy skill) on asthma morbidity in Puerto Rican children. Our objective was to examine whether low parental numeracy is associated with increased asthma morbidity in Puerto Rican children.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study of 351 children with asthma, aged 6 to 14 years, living in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Parents of study participants completed a modified version of the Asthma Numeracy Questionnaire. Multivariate linear or logistic regression was used to examine the relation between low parental numeracy (defined as no correct answers in the modified Asthma Numeracy Questionnaire) and indicators of asthma morbidity (severe asthma exacerbations, core measures of asthma exacerbations, and lung function measures). All multivariate models were adjusted for age, sex, household income, reported use of inhaled corticosteroids in the previous 6 months, and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

Results

Low parental numeracy was associated with increased odds of visits to the ED or urgent care for asthma (adjusted OR [aOR]=1.7, 95% CI=1.03-2.7, P=.04). The association between low parental numeracy and hospitalizations for asthma was significant only among children not using inhaled corticosteroids (aOR=2.8, 95% CI=1.4-5.6, P=.004). There was no association between low parental numeracy and use of systemic steroids or lung function measures.

Conclusions

Low parental numeracy is associated with increased asthma morbidity in Puerto Rican children.

SUBMITTER: Rosas-Salazar C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3707180 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Parental numeracy and asthma exacerbations in Puerto Rican children.

Rosas-Salazar Christian C Ramratnam Sima K SK Brehm John M JM Han Yueh-Ying YY Acosta-Pérez Edna E Alvarez María M Colón-Semidey Angel A Canino Glorisa G Apter Andrea J AJ Celedón Juan C JC

Chest 20130701 1

<h4>Background</h4>Puerto Ricans share a disproportionate burden of childhood asthma in the United States. Little is known about the impact of low parental numeracy (a health literacy skill) on asthma morbidity in Puerto Rican children. Our objective was to examine whether low parental numeracy is associated with increased asthma morbidity in Puerto Rican children.<h4>Methods</h4>This was a cross-sectional study of 351 children with asthma, aged 6 to 14 years, living in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Pa ...[more]

PMID: 23493983

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Project description:Changes in dietary patterns may partly explain the epidemic of asthma in industrialized countries. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and lung function and asthma exacerbations in Puerto Rican children. This is a case-control study of 678 Puerto Rican children (ages 6-14 years) in San Juan (Puerto Rico). All participants completed a respiratory health questionnaire and a 75-item food frequency questionnaire. Food items were aggregated into 7 groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, dairy, fats, and sweets. Logistic regression was used to evaluate consumption frequency of each group and asthma. Based on the results, a dietary score was created [range from -2 (unhealthy diet: high consumption of dairy and sweets, low consumption of vegetables and grains) to 2 (healthy diet: high consumption of vegetables and grains and low consumption of dairy and sweet)]. Multivariable linear or logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between dietary score and lung function or asthma exacerbations. After adjustment for covariates, a healthier diet (each 1-point increment in dietary score) was associated with significantly higher %predicted forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and %predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) in control subjects. Dietary pattern alone was not associated with asthma exacerbations, but children with an unhealthy diet and vitamin D insufficiency (plasma 25(OH)D <30?ng/mL) had higher odds of ?1 severe asthma exacerbation [odds ratio (OR)?=?3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI)?=?1.5-7.5] or ?1 hospitalization due to asthma (OR?=?3.9, 95% CI?=?1.6-9.8, OR?=?3.4, 95% CI?=?1.5-7.5) than children who ate a healthy diet and were vitamin D sufficient. A healthy diet, with frequent consumption of vegetables and grains and low consumption of dairy products and sweets, was associated with higher lung function (as measured by FEV1 and FVC). Vitamin D insufficiency, together with an unhealthy diet, may have detrimental effects on asthma exacerbations in children.

Dataset Information

Parental numeracy and asthma exacerbations in Puerto Rican children.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Parental numeracy and asthma exacerbations in Puerto Rican children.

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