School-based asthma case finding: the Arkansas experience.
This population-based case-finding study sought to determine asthma prevalence and characterize disease severity and burden among school-aged children in the Little Rock School District. Asthma cases were identified by validated algorithm and parental report of asthma diagnosis. The overall response rate was low. Among schools with greater than 50% response rate, prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was comparable to other studies in public school settings. Prevalence of symptoms in cases identified as current is suggestive of poor asthma control. Improved systems for case identification of children with asthma are needed in schools. Efforts should focus on strategies to improve asthma control.
Vargas
Perla A
PA
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, Slot 512-26, AR 72202-3591, USA. vargasperlaa@uams.edu
Magee
James S
JS
Bushmiaer
Margo
M
Simpson
Pippa M
PM
Jones
Craig A
CA
Feild
Charles R
CR
Jones
Stacie M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D001131:Arkansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D019090:Case Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012573:School Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires