Asthma in Head Start Children: Practical Implications for Detection of Some Socio-demographic Risk Factors with Suggestions for Head Start Staff

Authors

  • Ozlem Bekar University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • Ellen Halpern
  • Faith Lamb-Parker
  • Howard Steele
  • Miriam Steele
  • Rebecca Shahmoon-Shanok

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55370/hsdialog.v18i1.425

Abstract

The Head Start Bureau has described asthma as a “growing problem†and “top chronic disease among Head Start children†(Rehnquist, 2002). This study examined the racial/ethnic and SES-based contributors to asthma occurrence among children attending three Head Start centers in a multi-ethnic, densely populated city in the U.S. Sample consisted of 1312 families. Findings indicated that poverty -over and above the effects of race/ethnicity- was a primary risk factor for asthma in this population. In addition, Hispanic/Latino ethnicity and Asian race were predictive of very high and very low rates of asthma, respectively. There was a positive relationship between asthma status and caregivers' education level, which may play a role in reporting of asthma cases. These findings are of significant value to inform formulation of effective intervention programs at Head Start centers.

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Published

2015-09-23

Issue

Section

Research-to-Practice Summaries