Reliability and validity of the Asthma Trigger Inventory applied to a pediatric population.
OBJECTIVE
To test the reliability and validity of the Asthma Trigger Inventory (ATI) applied to a pediatric population.


METHODS
Children with asthma (N = 272, 56% male, age 7-17) and their primary caregivers answered together an asthma trigger inventory, ATI (Ritz, Steptoe, Bobb, Harris, & Edwards, 2006) developed for adults. Cronbach's alpha, principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical regression, and correlations of the ATI subscales with skin prick tests, psychological questionnaires, and disease severity were used to assess the psychometric properties of the ATI.


RESULTS
The ATI subscales demonstrated excellent reliability regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status (SES), or age. PCA confirmed and replicated the theoretical structure of the ATI. Hierarchical multiple regressions illuminated the association of ATI subscales with demographics and asthma history. Evidence in support of construct validity was found in associations between ratings of triggering and disease severity and asthma-related quality of life (PAQLQ). Criterion validity for allergy triggering was partially supported by correlations between ATI animal allergens subscale and the cat dander skin prick test, and construct validity for emotional triggering by associations between the emotional trigger subscale score and the anxiety (STAIC) and depression (CDI, CDI-P, CDRS-R, and CBCL-I) scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The ATI holds promise as a reliable, valid, and useful clinical and research tool to assess the type and degree of asthma triggering in a pediatric population (age 7-17) of varied gender, race, and SES.
Wood
Beatrice L
BL
Woman and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, 219 Bryant Street, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA. bwood@buffalo.edu
Cheah
Po Ann
PA
Lim
JungHa
J
Ritz
Thomas
T
Miller
Bruce D
BD
Stern
Trudy
T
Ballow
Mark
M
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires