Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2012 Aug;109(2):121-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2012.06.005. Epub 2012 Jun 26.

Recruitment, asthma characteristics, and medication behaviors in Midwestern Puerto Rican youth: data from Project CURA

Molly A Martin  1 , Daniel Olson, Giselle Mosnaim, Dorian Ortega, Steven K Rothschild
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Recruitment, asthma characteristics, and medication behaviors in Midwestern Puerto Rican youth: data from Project CURA

Molly A Martin et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2012 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Puerto Rican children have the highest prevalence of asthma, but detailed descriptions of this population have been limited to the island of Puerto Rico and the northeastern United States.

Objective: To describe the asthma characteristics of this urban Midwest cohort of Puerto Rican youth, focusing on medication behaviors, and to test whether their asthma outcomes are associated with their demographic and psychosocial variables.

Methods: Data are from the baseline cohorts of a randomized controlled trial designed to improve medication adherence in Puerto Rican youth. Recruitment used a community-based participatory research approach. Data were collected in the home. Medications and medication technique were visually assessed, and adherence was determined using electronic medication monitors or counters. Data on asthma symptoms and morbidity, demographics, and psychosocial factors were collected.

Results: The recruitment of 101 participants (51 in elementary school and 50 in high school) was completed in 14 months. Despite overall high asthma severity and poor asthma control, 20% of participants had no reliever medicine in their home. Self-report of controller use was higher than actual controller medications visualized in the home. For those who had an inhaled corticosteroid medicine (only 45% of elementary school participants and 12% of high school participants), median adherence was 1.0 doses per day. Rates of depression and stress were very high among both caregivers and children.

Conclusion: Puerto Rican youth in the Midwest bear a significant asthma burden in addition to other stressors, including depression. Visual inspection of medications and monitoring of adherence are critical for understanding asthma morbidity in this high-risk population.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01061424 NCT01065883.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Lara M, Akinbami L, Flores G, Morgenstern H. Heterogeneity of childhood asthma among Hispanic children: Puerto Rican children bear a disproportionate burden. Pediatrics. 2006;117:43–53. - PubMed
    1. Loyo-Berrios NI, Orengo JC, Serrano-Rodriguez RA. Childhood asthma prevalence in Northern Puerto Rico, the Rio Grande, and Loiza experience. J Asthma. 2006;43:619–624. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current Asthma Prevalence — United States, 2006–2008. MMWR. 2011;60 (Suppl):84– 86. - PubMed
    1. Esteban CA, Klein RB, McQuaid EL, et al. Conundrums in childhood asthma severity, control, and health care use: Puerto Rico versus Rhode Island. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;124(2):238–44. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Eggleston PA. Environmental causes of asthma in inner city children. The National Cooperative Inner City Asthma Study. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2000;18(3):311–324. - PubMed

Publication types

Substances

Associated data