title: Life events, chronic stressors, and depressive symptoms in low-income urban mothers with asthmatic children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This secondary data analysis study examines the relationship between maternal sociodemographic variables, life events, chronic stressors, including asthma control and management and environmental stressors, and maternal depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive design study consisting of baseline data from participants enrolled in a randomized asthma communication educational intervention trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  201 mothers of children with asthma (ages 6-12), recruited from community pediatric practices and emergency departments of 2 urban university hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Life events were measured using standardized items. Chronic stressors were measured using items from the International Asthma and Allergies in Childhood study and maternal and child exposure to violence. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Close to 25% of the mothers had high depressive symptoms. In separate multiple logistic regression models, education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.07, 6.39) or unemployment (AOR=2.38; 95% CI=1.16, 4.90) and the use of quick relief medications (AOR=2.74; 95% CI=1.33, 5.66) for asthma were positively associated with depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implications include the need to assess maternal depressive symptoms of mothers of children with asthma, in order to improve asthma management for low-income urban children.
authors: School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. jkub@son.jhmi.edu
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Kub
authors: Jacky M
authors: JM
authors: Jennings
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Donithan
authors: Jennifer M
authors: JM
authors: Walker
authors: Cassia Lewis
authors: CL
authors: Land
authors: Arlene
authors: A
authors: Butz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data