Differing reports of asthma symptoms in African Americans and Caucasians.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study explores the reported symptoms in African Americans and Caucasians with asthma.


METHODS
Asthma patients in an inner-city pulmonary clinic were given a brief questionnaire of asthma symptoms and the BORG scale, followed by spirometry.


RESULTS
African Americans were less likely to report nocturnal awakenings (67% vs. 100%; p = 0.037), complain of dyspnea (33% vs. 75%; p = 0.038), or experience chest pain (13% vs. 75%; p = 0.002) than Caucasians.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to demonstrate that there are clinically significant differences in the reporting of asthma symptoms between African Americans and Caucasians.
Trochtenberg
D Scott
DS
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee 37208, USA. dtrochtenberg@mmc.edu
BeLue
Rhonda
R
Piphus
Sharon
S
Washington
Niketa
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People