The relationship of health insurance to the diagnosis and management of asthma and respiratory problems in children in a predominantly Hispanic urban community.
OBJECTIVE
As part of an asthma screening study, we evaluated the relationship of health care insurance coverage to the diagnosis and treatment of elementary school children for asthma and related respiratory problems from 1998 through 2001.


METHODS
A bilingual questionnaire assessing health care coverage, asthma diagnosis, respiratory symptoms, and use of medications was distributed to parents of 6235 public and private school children in grades 2 through 5 in Passaic, NJ.


RESULTS
Responses for 4380 children (70%) revealed disparities in health care coverage and asthma diagnosis among racial and ethnic groups. Mexican and Dominican children had significant increases in health care coverage over the 4 years.


CONCLUSIONS
The percentage of children with health insurance grew from 67% in 1998 to 81% in 2001, and the increase was related to NJ KidCare. Diagnosis of asthma and treatment were related to health care coverage.
Freeman
Natalie C G
NC
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA. nfreeman@eohsi.rutgers.edu
Schneider
Dona
D
McGarvey
Patricia
P
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D009515:New Jersey; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents