title: Community violence and childhood asthma prevalence in peripheral neighborhoods in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil.
abstract: This study aimed to identify degrees of exposure to community violence reported by parents and guardians of children from four to 12 years of age and the association with childhood asthma symptoms. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,232 parents/guardians in 24 peripheral neighborhoods in Salvador, the capital of Bahia State, Brazil. The authors investigated asthma symptoms in children and acts of violence in the community. More than 75% of parents/guardians had been exposed to community violence in the previous year, with 20% reporting high levels of exposure. Children that were more exposed to violence showed higher asthma prevalence (28.4%) as compared to non-exposed children (16.4%). Children exposed to maximum levels of violence were nearly twice as likely to present asthma symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.94; 95%CI: 1.12-3.36). The study highlighted the relevance of community violence as a risk factor for asthma and the need for further research to elucidate methodological issues.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brasil. guilhermec.ufba@gmail.com
authors.forename: Guilherme da Costa
authors.initials: Gda C
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Darci Neves
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Caroline Alves
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Feitosa
authors.forename: Mauricio Lima
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barreto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data