title: Predicting attrition in a pediatric asthma intervention study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To operationalize a comprehensive description of attrition, including pre-inclusion, dropout, and attrition due to intermittent missing data, and to test a predictive model of attrition using a data set from a randomized controlled intervention in pediatric asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included children, ages 4-12, diagnosed with asthma and their caregivers. Demographic variables and outcome measures of asthma morbidity were examined in 327 families to determine their association with attrition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Families who did not complete randomization and the intervention tended to have younger caregivers than did completers. Caregiver age emerged as the most consistent predictor of pre-inclusion and dropout attrition. There were no significant predictors of attrition due to intermittent missing data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger caregivers may be at particular risk for attrition in pediatric asthma intervention studies and warrant special attention by investigators.
authors: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. kmz7@po.cwru.edu
authors: Kathy
authors: K
authors: Zebracki
authors: Dennis
authors: D
authors: Drotar
authors: H Lester
authors: HL
authors: Kirchner
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Schluchter
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Redline
authors: Carolyn
authors: C
authors: Kercsmar
authors: Natalie
authors: N
authors: Walders
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis