Caregiver Asthma in Urban Families: Implications for School Absenteeism.
Robin S Everhart, Sarah Miller, Gillian G Leibach and 2 others
PMID 28093030WHAT IT FOUND
In urban families, children whose caregivers reported having asthma missed more school days for asthma: 3.97 versus 2.43 days.
Other asthma outcomes, including control and hospitalization, did not differ.
Key findings
01Children whose caregivers reported having asthma had more asthma-related school days missed (M = 3.97, SD = 4.52) than children whose caregivers did not report asthma (M = 2.43, SD = 3.05).
02Asthma-related school days missed were unrelated to family income, family race/ethnicity, controller use, child sex, or child age.
03Other child asthma morbidity markers, including hospitalization, oral corticosteroids, intubation, and asthma control, did not differ by caregiver asthma status.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study did not specifically target caregivers with asthma, so only 32 caregivers reported asthma, which limits confidence in the finding. Asthma diagnoses in children and caregivers were self-reported and not confirmed by a study clinician. Caregivers reported most measures, including school days missed, which may introduce method bias. School days missed were recalled over 12 months and included summer and school year, not just one school year. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that caregiver asthma caused more absences. It did not measure urban stressors or caregiver asthma history, which may affect attendance decisions. The sample was a convenience sample of 102 families.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that caregiver asthma causes more school absences or that nurse screening will reduce them. The study was cross-sectional, used caregiver reports, and did not test an intervention.