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Objective This article presents a summary of findings from asthma studies focusing on immigration and acculturation-related factors. A study examining associations between these processes, family cohesion and social support networks, and asthma morbidity in a sample of Dominican and Puerto Rican caregivers residing in the mainland U.S., is also described. Methods Latino children with asthma (n = 232), ages 7–16 (49% female) and their caregivers completed interview-based questionnaires on immigration and acculturation-related processes, family characteristics, and asthma morbidity. Results The frequency of ED use due to asthma may be higher for children of caregivers born in Puerto Rico. Acculturative stress levels were higher for Puerto Rican born caregivers residing in the mainland U.S. Conclusion Asthma-related educational and intervention programs for Latino children and families should be tailored to consider the effects that the immigration and acculturation experience can have on asthma management. Specific family-based supports focused on decreasing stress related to the acculturation process, and increasing social and family support around the asthma treatment process may help to reduce asthma morbidity in Latino children.

Objectives To identify children demonstrating “good” sleep health in a sample of urban children with persistent asthma; to compare sociocontextual, asthma clinical characteristics, and sleep behaviors in children with “good” versus “poor” sleep health; and to examine protective effects of family-based health behaviors on sleep health. Methods Participants were 249 Black (33%), Latino (51%) and non-Latino White (16%) children with asthma, ages 7–9 years, and their primary caregivers. Results 32 percent of children had “good” sleep health. Well-controlled asthma and better lung function were more likely in this group. In the context of urban risks, sleep hygiene appeared to be a protective factor associated with better sleep quality. The protective effect of asthma management functioned differently by ethnic group. Conclusions This study identifies protective processes that may guard against urban risks to optimize sleep health in children with asthma. Intervention programs can be tailored to consider specific supports that enhance sleep health in this high-risk group.

Objective The goal of this study is to identify individual, family/cultural, and illness-related protective factors that may minimize asthma morbidity in the context of multiple urban risks in a sample of inner-city children and families. Methods Participating families are from African-American (33), Latino (51) and non-Latino white (47) backgrounds. A total of 131 children with asthma (56% male), ages 6-13 years and their primary caregivers were included. Results Analyses supported the relationship between cumulative risks and asthma morbidity across children of the sample. Protective processes functioned differently by ethnic group. For example, Latino families exhibited higher levels of family connectedness, and this was associated with lower levels of functional limitation due to asthma, in the context of risks. Conclusions This study demonstrates the utility of examining multilevel protective processes that may guard against urban risks factors to decrease morbidity. Intervention programs for families from specific ethnic groups can be tailored to consider individual, family-based/cultural and illness-related supports that decrease stress and enhance aspects of asthma treatment.

Objective To determine whether family response to asthma symptoms mediates the relationship between child symptom perception and morbidity. Methods A total of 122 children with asthma, aged between 7 and 17 years (47% females; 25% ethnic minorities), were recruited from three sites. Participants completed a family asthma management interview and 5–6 weeks of symptom perception assessment. Results Family response to symptoms mediated the relationship between child underestimation of symptoms and asthma morbidity and partially mediated the relationship between accurate symptom perception and morbidity. In contrast, although child overestimation of symptoms and family response to symptoms were independently related to asthma morbidity, a mediational model was not supported. Conclusions Our study found support for the role of family response to symptoms in mediating the relationship between child symptom perception and morbidity, particularly with regard to underestimation of symptoms, underscoring the need for behavioral tools to accurately recognize and optimally respond to exacerbations.

OBJECTIVE To assess child adherence to preventive asthma medications; to investigate relations between knowledge, reasoning about asthma, and responsibility for management and adherence; and to determine the association between adherence and morbidity. METHODS Participants were 106 children with asthma and their parents. Medication adherence was electronically monitored for 1 month. Participants completed self-report measures. Children were interviewed to assess reasoning about asthma. RESULTS Children's adherence was approximately 48% of prescribed doses. Adherence was negatively related to age (r = -.21, p

Delineated methodologic issues in the study of symptom perception in childhood asthma. A review of past and recent psychophysiological and clinical studies of both adults and children presents the methodologic and analytic approaches that have been applied to quantify perceptual accuracy. Peak expiratory flow rate, forced expiratory volume in the first second, and force expiratory flow can serve as objective measures of asthma. A visual analog scale, a numerical guess, and a categorical description as subjective measures all have clear strengths and weaknesses. Correlational analysis of subjective-objective data, arithmetic differences between subjective guess and objective value, and an error grid categorization can each be applied to calculate an accuracy index on an individual subject. Illustrative examples reveal that the same data lead to different indices depending on the method chosen. Empirical research is needed to standardize various methodologic approaches. Given the increasing prevalence, severity, and morbidity of pediatric asthma, the study of symptom perception may be a critical component in our understanding of asthma management, and will likely lead to useful clinical interventions.