Comparison of asthma-related functional consequences and health care utilization among children with and without upper respiratory infection-triggered wheezing.
OBJECTIVE
We compared differences in functional consequences and health care utilization in middle school-age children, based on whether they reported wheezing triggered by upper respiratory infections (URI-TW).


METHODS
Information on asthma symptoms, URI-TW, and functional consequence and health care use outcomes was collected from approximately 128,000 children; symptomatic participants were included in the analysis. Adjusted prevalence odds ratios were used to make comparisons.


RESULTS
URI-TW was significantly associated with most outcomes examined, with stronger associations at increasing levels of outcomes for sleep disturbances, school absences, activity limitations, physician visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, inhaler use, and tablets/pills to help breathing.


CONCLUSIONS
Children who report URI-TW during their middle school years experience substantial morbidity and high health care utilization compared with symptomatic children without URI-TW.
Sotir
Mark
M
School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA. sotirmj@dhfs.state.wi.us
Yeatts
Karin
K
Miller
William
W
Shy
Carl
C
D000041:Absenteeism; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003139:Common Cold / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009657:North Carolina; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents