Pediatric asthma morbidity: the importance of symptom perception and family response to symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether family response to asthma symptoms mediates the relationship between child symptom perception and morbidity.


METHODS
A total of 122 children with asthma, aged between 7 and 17 years (47% females; 25% ethnic minorities), were recruited from three sites. Participants completed a family asthma management interview and 5-6 weeks of symptom perception assessment.


RESULTS
Family response to symptoms mediated the relationship between child underestimation of symptoms and asthma morbidity and partially mediated the relationship between accurate symptom perception and morbidity. In contrast, although child overestimation of symptoms and family response to symptoms were independently related to asthma morbidity, a mediational model was not supported.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study found support for the role of family response to symptoms in mediating the relationship between child symptom perception and morbidity, particularly with regard to underestimation of symptoms, underscoring the need for behavioral tools to accurately recognize and optimally respond to exacerbations.
McQuaid
Elizabeth L
EL
Brown Medical School, Bradley Hasbro Children's Research center, Corp. West 2, 1 Hoppin St., Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA. emcquaid@lifespan.org
Koinis Mitchell
Daphne
D
Walders
Natalie
N
Nassau
Jack H
JH
Kopel
Sheryl J
SJ
Klein
Robert B
RB
Wamboldt
Marianne Z
MZ
Fritz
Gregory K
GK
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004493:Education; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D012803:Sick Role; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires