title: Racial/Ethnic variation in parent perceptions of asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Black and Latino children with asthma have worse morbidity and receive less controller medication than their white peers. Scant information exists on racial/ethnic differences in parent perceptions of asthma. To compare parent perceptions among black, Latino, and white children with asthma in 4 domains: (1) expectations for functioning with asthma; (2) concerns about medications; (3) interactions with providers; and (4) competing family priorities.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, we conducted telephone interviews with parents of children with persistent asthma in a Medicaid health plan and a multispecialty provider group in Massachusetts. To measure expectations for functioning and other domains, we adapted multi-item scales from past studies. Associations between race/ethnicity and these domains were evaluated in multivariate analyses that controlled for age, gender, household income, parental education, insurance, and language. The response rate was 72%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 739 study children, 24% were black, 21% Latino, and 43% white. Parents of black and Latino children had lower expectations for their children's functioning with asthma (P < .001), higher levels of worry about their children's asthma (P < .001), and more competing family priorities (P = .004) compared with parents of white children. Parents of Latino children had higher levels of concern about medications for asthma than parents of black or white children (P = .002). There were no differences among racial/ethnic groups in reports of interactions with the provider of their children's asthma care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efforts to eliminate disparities in childhood asthma may need to address variation in expectations and competing priorities between minority and white families.
authors: Center for Child Health Care Studies, Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215-5301, USA. ann.wu@childrens.harvard.edu
authors: Ann Chen
authors: AC
authors: Wu
authors: Lauren
authors: L
authors: Smith
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Bokhour
authors: Katherine H
authors: KH
authors: Hohman
authors: Tracy A
authors: TA
authors: Lieu
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*