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
. 2017 Dec;94(6):814-823.
doi: 10.1007/s11524-017-0162-1.

Characterization of Stress in Low-Income, Inner-City Mothers of Children with Poorly Controlled Asthma

Melissa H Bellin  1 , Kathryn S Collins  2 , Philip Osteen  3 , Joan Kub  4 , Mary Elizabeth Bollinger  5 , Angelica Newsome  2 , Cassie Lewis-Land  6 , Arlene M Butz  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Characterization of Stress in Low-Income, Inner-City Mothers of Children with Poorly Controlled Asthma

Melissa H Bellin et al. J Urban Health. 2017 Dec.

Abstract

The goal of this longitudinal analysis was to characterize factors associated with the experience of life stress in low-income, inner-city mothers of minority children with high-risk asthma.Participants (n = 276) reported on family demographics, child asthma control and healthcare utilization, social support, contemporary life difficulties (housing, finances, violence exposure) measured by the validated Crisis in Family Systems scale, and daily stress. Latent growth curve modeling examined predictors of life stress across 12 months as a function of home and community difficulties, asthma-specific factors, and social support. Mothers were primarily single (73%), unemployed (55%), and living in extreme poverty with most (73%) reporting an annual family income <$20,000 (73%). The children were young (mean age = 5.59, SD = 2.17), African-American (96%), and had poorly controlled asthma (94%) at study enrollment. Higher daily stress was associated with financial difficulties, safety concerns in the home and community, and housing problems. Access to social support was consistently related to reduced stress. The only asthma-specific factor associated with life stress was healthcare utilization, with more emergency services for asthma related to higher daily stress. Findings underscore the clinical significance of assessing diverse home and community stressors and social support in low-income, inner-city caregivers of children with poorly controlled asthma.

Keywords: Asthma; Caregivers; Life stress; Poverty.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Akinbami LJ, Moorman JE, Bailey C, Zahran HS, King M, Johnson CA, Liu X. (2012) Trends in asthma prevalence, health care use, and mortality in the United States, 2001–2010. NCHS data brief, no 94. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. - PubMed
    1. Bloom B, Jones LI, Freeman G. Summary health statistics for U.S. children: National Health Interview Survey. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat. 2013;10(258):1–73. - PubMed
    1. Thakur N, Oh SS, Nguyen EA, Martin M, Roth LA, Galanter J, et al. Socioeconomic status and childhood asthma in urban minority youths. The GALA II and SAGE II studies. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013;188(10):1202–1209. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201306-1016OC. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Akinbami L, Moorman J, Lui X. (2011) Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality United States, 2005–2009. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
    1. Celano MP, Holsey CN, Kobrynski LJ. Home-based family intervention for low-income children with asthma: a randomized controlled pilot study. J Fam Psychol. 2012;26(2):171–178. doi: 10.1037/a0027218. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types