Maternal health and child asthma health services use.
The primary purpose of this pilot study was to examine the influence of maternal health status on health services use in children with the diagnosis of asthma. A secondary purpose was to assess both preventive and illness-related child health services use patterns. Fifty-two asthmatic children and 43 mothers met the inclusion criteria. The majority of mothers (72%, n = 31/43) rated their own overall health as good to excellent. Eighty-six percent (n = 38/44) of the children had a medical home, 20% had peak flow meters, 26% had been to see a specialist, and 4% were currently under the care of a specialist. This pilot study raises important questions about the influence of maternal health on child health services use patterns for asthmatic children from low-income families. Understanding the influence of maternal health on health-seeking patterns for children with asthma is important for nursing intervention.
Kaiser
Katherine Laux
KL
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, USA. kkaiser@unmc.edu
Barry
Teresa L
TL
Mason
Andrea
A
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D008875:Middle Aged; D009329:Nebraska; D010865:Pilot Projects