The association of childhood asthma with parental employment and welfare receipt.
OBJECTIVE
to assess the association of childhood asthma with parental employment and welfare receipt, which has not been studied.


METHODS
We analyzed cross-sectional data on 13 371 children younger than 18 from the 1997 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative stratified probability sample of the US noninstitutionalized population. Single-parent (n=3,907) and 2-parent families (n=9,464) were analyzed separately. Families with children younger than 6 and families with incomes below the federal poverty level (FPL) were also analyzed separately. The main outcome measures were full-time parental employment and welfare receipt.


RESULTS
Compared to single parents of nonasthmatic children younger than 6, single parents of young children with asthma were more likely to be employed less than full time (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-3.2). This relationship was also evident among single-parent families with incomes below FPL (adjusted OR 2.8, 95% CI, 1.2-6.5). Parental employment among 2-parent families with young children was similar regardless of child's asthma status. Two-parent families with young asthmatic children were more likely to have received welfare for at least 1 parent (adjusted OR 2.6, 95% CI, 1.5-4.6). Single-parent families of asthmatic children were also more likely to have received welfare (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI, 1.1-1.7).


CONCLUSIONS
Children's asthma is associated with reduced parental employment among single parents and increased welfare receipt among single- and 2-parent families. These associations with children's asthma may have implications for policy makers interested in increasing employment and decreasing welfare
Smith
Lauren A
LA
Department of Pediatrics of Boston University School of Medicine, USA.
Hatcher
Juliet L
JL
Wertheimer
Richard
R
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology