Life events, chronic stressors, and depressive symptoms in low-income urban mothers with asthmatic children.
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.
Kub
Joan
J
School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. jkub@son.jhmi.edu
Jennings
Jacky M
JM
Donithan
Michele
M
Walker
Jennifer M
JM
Land
Cassia Lewis
CL
Butz
Arlene
A
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